Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms

Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms, a dish that certainly comforts the soul with its creamy texture, plump mushrooms, and extraordinary flavors. However, it is not only about how good it tastes, but how elegant and beautiful this is. Truly a restaurant quality dish!

Song of the day: "Walk this way" RUN DMC and Aerosmith.

Polenta has come a long way!

Back in the day, polenta was made over a fire in the kitchen fireplace. You would see a copper pot hanging over the fire, where the polenta would be cooking. My Mom and Dad said some would burn on the bottom of the pot giving the polenta a smoky flavor! It was served on a wood board and on top some rich tomato sauce and sausages. Everyone would scoop from the board set in the middle of the table. Talk about a family style meal, right?

I still love that way of doing polenta but sometimes there isn't the time and instant polenta comes to the rescue. Chefs are using polenta as a base to fish or meats. Today we are using mushrooms and it is utterly delicious! You're in for a real treat, let's get into the kitchen and start cooking!

Before getting into the nitty gritty of Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms

We are so excited to share this recipe with you, however before we get started, we need to get our ingredients ready. This is what you need:

• Instant Polenta
• mushrooms
• olive oil
• butter
• onions
• dried red chilis
• fresh thyme and parsley
• white wine
• salt and pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano

Getting the flavor out of your mushrooms!

We absolutely love mushrooms. In Italy there are these mushrooms called Porcini. You will never forget these amazing mushrooms. Flavor upon flavor and meaty texture. The only way to get them here is dried, too bad. It is not all a sad story because we do have growers that produce some pretty tasty cremini, and shitake, amongst many others and today we are using those.

The way to get maximum flavor is to sauté the mushrooms in olive oil, butter, a pinch of chili flakes, garlic, white wine, some seasoning and fresh herbs such as thyme and parsley. It is that easy and exactly what we have to do! I guarantee you, the flavor will be magnificent! Don't those mushrooms look so juicy and plump? I am going to taste one. Perfect!

Time to whip up the corn flour for this Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms

Today we are using instant polenta. It takes no time at all and still has incredible flavor and texture. All we need to do is:

• Get the water boiling, making sure to season it with salt. Once it is at this point, turn the heat down a bit and bring it to a slow boil.
• Slowly pour the corn meal into the pot a little at a time, while continually stirring with a whisk. Make sure to get that corn meal nice and smooth and free of lumps.
• Be careful as it is going to start bubbling, and if it lands on you, it really hurts. I turn the heat down a bit and dodge those flying bits! It's creamy and dreamy and almost ready to go!
• When it is just about done, add in the grated Parmigiano, and give it a good whisk to keep it creamy. Warm up the mushrooms at this point.
• Time to plate!
• Spoon a nice amount of the polenta in a shallow bowl, top with the sautéed mushrooms, sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley, and a drizzle of evo oil.

A plate of comfort and beauty!

Look at the way the polenta sets off the mushrooms. Its velvetiness is a perfect bed for the sautéed mushrooms and those lovely juices that just linger in any of the creases is so inviting!

The aroma is amazing. To me polenta has that nutty corn aroma, and the mushrooms the enticing earthiness and the freshness of those thyme and parsley.

Smooth Instant Polenta with Mushrooms, Italian soul food at its best!

Polenta always brings back incredible memories of family and our meal times. The polenta is rich, creamy and the corn flavor comes through beautifully. More so, it pairs so lovingly with the earthiness and acidity of the Cremini and Shitake mushrooms. They just burst from their plumpness with juiciness and a meaningful meatiness, that is a sheer delight to the palate. All in all, this is a wonderful Fall meal that will warm you from head to toe.

I have enjoyed sharing this recipe with all its memories and love with you. Truly sit down, relax, be grateful for each other, and enjoy this wonderful dish!

Buon Appetito!

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