Creamy polenta stands as a beloved comfort food dinner essential, serving as the perfect side dish. When paired with garlic sage mushrooms in a creamy sauce, it transforms into a delightful vegetarian dinner option, especially suited for those chilly days.
Table of Contents
What is polenta?
Polenta, a classic dish hailing from Northern Italy, is crafted using cornmeal as its primary ingredient. While other grains like rice have been historically utilized, coarse yellow cornmeal is what most people are familiar with. It undergoes a cooking process with liquid until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. Additionally, it can be cooked, chilled, sliced, and grilled to create a different texture. Polenta shares similarities with grits and South African pap, although grits and pap are prepared using white corn. Notably, polenta is an excellent gluten-free side dish, ideally complementing saucy dishes.
How to make creamy polenta
To prepare the polenta:
- Begin by bringing water and/or stock to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling liquid.
- Gradually whisk the polenta into the boiling liquid, ensuring there are no lumps. Once smooth, reduce the heat.
- Cover the pot with a lid and let the polenta simmer gently over low heat for approximately 20-25 minutes. During this time, the polenta should absorb the stock, thicken, and become creamy. If you find that the polenta still has a gritty texture, continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.
- To finish, add the cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the pot with a lid and allow the polenta to steam off the heat for another 10-15 minutes. You can leave it in the pot, off the heat, for up to an hour as it will remain warm.
- Before serving, give the polenta a good stir with a wooden spoon to ensure it’s well mixed and creamy.
Enjoy your homemade creamy polenta!
How to make creamy mushrooms
To prepare the garlic sage mushrooms in cream sauce and serve them over polenta:
- Start by wiping the mushrooms clean with a paper towel, then slice them.
- In a large pan set over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
- Cook the mushrooms in batches in the hot butter until they turn a golden brown color. Season them with salt and pepper, then remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- In the same pan, cook the garlic and sage until they become fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and season with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the cooked mushrooms back into the pan and squeeze in a bit of lemon juice. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Spoon some of the creamy polenta into serving bowls.
- Top the polenta with the creamy mushrooms, making sure to include the flavorful sauce.
- Serve your delicious garlic sage mushrooms in cream sauce over the polenta and enjoy!
creamy polenta Ingredients
For the polenta
- 5 cups water/stock
- 2 cups polenta
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
For the creamy mushrooms
- 2 tbsp butter
- 750 g (1½lb) mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1½ cups cream
- 2-3 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
How To Make creamy polenta
To make the creamy polenta:
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring water and/or stock to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt.
- Gradually whisk in the polenta, ensuring it becomes smooth without any lumps. Reduce the heat.
- Cover with a lid and let it simmer gently over low heat for 20-25 minutes until the polenta absorbs the stock, thickens, and becomes creamy.
- Add the cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover with a lid and let it steam off the heat for another 10-15 minutes. Stir well with a wooden spoon before serving.
For the garlic sage mushrooms:
- Wipe the mushrooms clean with a paper towel and slice them according to your preference. Leaving some whole mushrooms will add texture.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter (or heat the oil) and cook the mushrooms in batches until they turn golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, then remove them from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook the garlic and sage until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and season with salt and black pepper. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the cooked mushrooms back into the pan, along with a squeeze of lemon juice, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
To serve:
- Spoon some of the creamy polenta into serving bowls.
- Top the polenta with the creamy mushrooms, ensuring you include the flavorful sauce.
- Pour over the sauce, and your dish is ready to be served and enjoyed!