Mushrooms Over Polenta

As much as we like cooking meals that the kids can enjoy, we like to prepare dishes that focus on the flavours that we savour. One day the children will enjoy this meal, but in the meantime we are happy to eat this on our own - preferably with something bubbly and grown-up knowing that they are in their beds dreaming of cars, wheels and science experiments. It also helps that this comes together fairly quickly. Using only a few ingredients allows for each of them to stand out. We like mushrooms and together with the polenta it transports us to warm summer nights spent in the Friuli region of Northern Italy. Did someone say prosecco? There was a time when we would have been keen to have shavings of parmesan to finish off the dish, but we are now more excited to drizzle some white truffle oil over the mushrooms just before serving. This offers an earthy complexity that compliments the mushrooms and really transforms a simple dish into something to celebrate.

Shiitake mushrooms are not a staple in Italy, but are a delicious replacement for a standard portobello, but if you happen upon some fresh porcini mushrooms, then you would be the talk of the town.

Ingredients: (serves 2 hungry adults)

Mushrooms:

• 3 shallots, or 1 small white onion
• 375g Mushrooms, we used shitake
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp bouillon
• 1 tbsp white truffle oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish with fresh parsley

Polenta:

• 1 cup polenta
• 1 tbsp bouillon
• 3 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Finely dice the shallots and roughly chop the mushrooms and add to a large lidded pan or pot along with the water and bouillon.
• Cover the pan and place over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered until the polenta is ready to be served. Just before serving the mushrooms, stir in 1 tbsp of white truffle oil and a few tbsp of chopped parsley.
• Meanwhile, bring 3 cups of water and 1 tbsp of bouillon to the boil. Using a whisk or a large spoon, stir the water in a circular motion, creating a vortex into the centre of which the 1 cup of polenta is slowly poured. 
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to stir the polenta for 3 minutes. Continue to stir as the polenta thickens and then remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.
• Spread the polenta on a plate and top with the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste and think of warm summer evenings.