Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots Sauce, Gorgonzola and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Creamy orange corn polenta topped with shallots and mushrooms that have been roasted until golden brown and aromatic, then topped with a sprinkling of gorgonzola and sun-dried tomato pieces.
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
Creamy Polenta
- 1 cup polenta grits (We love Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn Polenta Grits, but any polenta grind of corn meal will work!) grits, coarse corn meal.
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk or half and half
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper can also use black pepper
- 1 Recipe Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots recipe below
Garnishes
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into julienne strips you can buy them like this in an oil-packed jar
- 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 4 sprigs parsley
Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots
- 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced can also include some wild mushrooms like porcini and/or morels in addition to the cremini.
- 8 medium shallots, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths lengthwise
- 2-3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine and whatever liquid you can collect from the roasting pan.
Instructions
Roasted Mushrooms and Shallots (Can be prepared in advance)
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray or rub with oil.
- Toss the mushroom and shallot slices with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon pepper and spread out evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping part-way through to brown both sides. Remove from oven and into a large frying pan. Deglaze baking sheet with white wine, scraping up all of the brown bits. Add this broth to the veggies in the frying pan. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Creamy Polenta
- Heat water and milk (or cream) in a large saucepan along with salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and very slowly whisk in the polenta grits until they are stirred in and continue to cook until the polenta is creamy, stirring occasionally. This may take anywhere from 10-20 minutes or so.
- While the polenta is cooking, reheat the mushroom-shallot mixture in the frying pan. Add extra wine or deglazing liquid if it starts to dry out.
- When polenta is ready to go, spoon it onto the plates and divide the mushroom-shallot mixture evenly over the top. Garnish with crumbled Gorgonzola, sun-dried tomatoes and a sprig of parsley. Serve hot!
Notes
It’s a great idea to get the mushrooms and shallots roasted ahead of time, before you start making the polenta. You can roast the mushrooms earlier in the day, or even several days ahead of time. Simply reheat in a frying pan before serving.