This simple recipe combines two even simpler foods into one flavorful appetizer, main dish, or side dish. This is always welcome from breakfast to lunch to dinner and is also a great and interesting idea. And they are thanksgiving table, A cheerful little side dish or centerpiece of a plate vegetarian In the house.
Cooked polenta in tubes
You can make polenta from scratch, but it takes a lot of time to roll it out, cool it, and shape it. I prefer to start with packaged, cooked polenta. It is sold in tubes, sometimes in the refrigerated section (look near the tofu), and even in the pasta section. Many brands don’t need to be refrigerated until opened, so check both places. I love Melissa’s shelf-stable organic products prepared polenta in tubesThere are three types: plain, dried tomato, and Italian herb. It will save you a lot of time!
Slice this polenta and griddle it in a pot on the stove. The polenta is already cooked, but you need to brown it to caramelize the outside of the slices. An important tip is not to turn the slices too often. Let it sit in the pan for 5-7 minutes before flipping, until the other side is completely golden brown.
You can also brush the slices with oil and heat them in the oven, or if the weather is nice, grill them. If you want to pre-cook the slices, you can warm them up in the oven before topping them with sautéed mushrooms and serving.
When it comes to mushrooms, button mushrooms and cremini are recommended. These are very easy to find and affordable. Or, if you’re feeling like splurging (or have someone in your family who’s an experienced mushroom forager!), opt for something a little more exotic, like morels, boletus, or oyster mushrooms.
Instead of thyme, try another herb like sage, rosemary, or marjoram.
If you want to make this dish vegan, replace the butter with olive oil. Make sure the type of polenta you buy is vegan (many are).
This image shows a recipe for pan-fried polenta with sautéed mushrooms. (Cheyenne M. Cohen, via AP)
Pan-fried polenta with sautéed mushrooms
Serves 6 people
material:
1 tube of ready-made polenta (1 pound)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Wash and slice 1 pound of mushrooms (such as morels, boletus, oysters, plain button or cremini mushrooms).
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A handful of chopped fresh parsley for garnish
direction:
Unwrap the polenta and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Lay a paper towel on the surface.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place as many polenta disks in the pan as will fit in a single layer. Cook, without moving, until golden brown and beginning to crisp on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the slices with a spatula and continue cooking until the other side is browned and slightly crispy, about 5 more minutes.
Remove polenta slices to a paper towel-lined surface. Repeat with another tablespoon of butter and remaining polenta slices.
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 8-10 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms turn a nice brown color.
Spoon the hot sautéed mushrooms over warm polenta slices, sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
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Katie Workman is a regular contributor to The Associated Press about food. She has written two cookbooks, “Dinner Solved!” that focus on family cooking. and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com. She can be reached at (email protected).
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