Porcini Mushrooms with Polenta

Of the thousand thousand ways in which mushrooms, Porcini in this case, can be cooked, we have them trifolati, an Italian method of cooking veggies with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic and parsley.

We have paired Porcini with Polenta, a famous combination in Italy, especially in Northern Italy regions such as Lombardy, Val D’Aosta, Trentino, just to name a few. Any type of mushroom can be used and combined with Polenta. This dish is considered a first course or main course, sometimes even a second course.

If you opt for classic Polenta according to tradition, it will take about 45 minutes to cook. Otherwise, ready-made polenta is time-saving and is still delicious.

Servings 3-4, Preparation 25 mins, Cooking approx. 60 mins

3-4 Porcini mushrooms
300 g Italian corn flour or ready-made Polenta
coarse salt, to taste
1 litre water
garlic, 1 clove
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons
salt and black pepper, a pinch
bay leaf, 1 leaf
chopped parsley, a small tuft

Method

Clean Porcini by scraping them gently to remove all traces of soil. Then wipe them with a dampened cloth or kitchen paper. Cut them into slices or chunks.

Heat 2 spoons of EVOO in a frying pan, brown the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Add Porcini and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

We have prepared the polenta in the classic way without using instant polenta although it is still very good and is ready in 5 minutes, perfect when you are short of time or don’t feel like stirring for 45 minutes.

Bring the salted water to the boil, pour in the maize flour and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk. Cook the polenta over a low heat for about 40-45 minutes, keep stirring it until it becomes less lumpy and soft.