GLUTEN-FREE CRISPy POLENTA WITH TALEGGIO AND MUSHROOMS
This week we’re focusing on delicious polenta, whether it be soft and creamy straight from the pot, or allowed to set, cut into shapes, brushed with olive oil and baked until crisp on the outside but with its trademark creaminess through the centre.
Polenta was traditionally a Northern Italian speciality where corn and rice were preferred over the pasta dishes of the south. Northern Italians are still sometimes called polentoni, ‘polenta eaters’. These days I’m sure, like the rest of the world, the regional boundaries have blurred.
We’ve added taleggio, a fabulously fragrant, Italian, washed rind cheese to our polenta and topped it with a delicious mushroom ragout. And we baked our polenta to give it a crisp finish but this dish will be just as successful using a soft version.
You can make your polenta the traditional way but we prefer our new ‘No Mess’ method.
Old or new, soft or crisp, this week’s recipe will certainly tantalise the taste buds.
Rosie
CRISPy POLENTA WITH TALEGGIO AND MUSHROOMS
Serves 8 as an entrée
For The ‘No Mess’ Polenta (with thanks to Stephanie Alexander)
150 gm polenta
750 ml boiling chicken or vegetable stock
30 gm unsalted butter, cubed
100 gm taleggio, rind removed and roughly chopped
Sea salt flakes
Olive oil for brushing
Select a minimum 2 litre capacity, heatproof bowl which will fit snuggly over a saucepan or stockpot.
Fill the saucepan or stockpot two thirds full with water and bring to the boil.
Pour the 750ml of boiling stock into the heatproof bowl. Pour the polenta into the bowl in a steady stream, and whisk until it thickens evenly – 4-5 minutes.
Cover the bowl with a large sheet of foil, tucking the edges in well to create a seal. It doesn’t matter if the water touches the bottom of the bowl or not.
Adjust the heat under the stockpot to maintain a steady simmer and cook for 90 minutes, removing the foil and stirring very thoroughly every 20 minutes being very mindful not to burn yourself on the steam and resealing the foil well after each stirring. Add more boiling water to the stockpot if the level is getting low.
At the end of cooking, add the butter and taleggio, stir the polenta well, taste and add salt to taste if necessary being mindful that taleggio itself is salty.
If you prefer soft polenta, you can serve it immediately topped with the mushroom mixture.
For crisp polenta, pour the polenta mixture into an oiled tin approximately 24cm x 14cm and allow to set. The recipe can be made to this point one or two days ahead of time. Store in the fridge.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C fan forced (220°C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the polenta into squares, rectangles or wedges, transfer to the prepared baking tray, brush with olive oil and bake until crisp and golden on the outside. Serve immediately topped with the mushroom mixture (see below) and scattered with Tarragon Gremolata (see below), if using, or simply chopped parsley and/or tarragon.
For The Mushrooms
30 gm dried porcini mushrooms, chopped
250 ml boiling water
1 kg mixed mushrooms, thickly sliced
80 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons parsley leaves, finely chopped
25 gm unsalted butter
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Soak the porcini mushrooms in the boiling water for 15 minutes. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid. Set the mushrooms aside and strain the soaking liquid again through a very fine sieve and reserve.
Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté half the mushrooms until softened and beginning to brown. Transfer to a plate then repeat with the second half of the mushrooms.
Transfer the garlic and parsley to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan and add porcini mushrooms, the butter and the porcini soaking liquid and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt flakes and black pepper to taste, bearing in mind the taleggio in the polenta does add salt to the dish.
For the Tarragon Gremolata (optional)
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ lemon, rind only, finely grated
1 tablespoon roasted, skinned hazelnuts, roughly ground
Mix all ingredients together. The Gremolata will keep overnight if stored in the fridge.
To Serve
Place one or two pieces (according to the size you have portioned your polenta) of crisp polenta straight from the oven onto 8 serving plates.
Top with the mushroom mixture and sprinkle with the Tarragon Gremolata if using.