Mushroom Ragu with Polenta

Meal in a Bowl, p. 50

10g [.035 oz] dried porcini mushrooms

25g [2 Tbsp] butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

400g [14 oz] mixed mushrooms (cap, shiitake, Swiss brown), sliced if large

1 cup (250 ml) red wine

2 cups (500 ml) beef stock

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

100g [3.5 oz] enoki mushrooms

1 cup (150g) polenta

40g [3 Tbsp] butter

1/3 cup (35g) grated Parmesan

I couldn't find enokis, so I made do with more "mixed mushrooms." Especially shiitakes, because they're my favorite. :)

Soak the porcini in ¾ cup (185 ml) warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and chop, reserving the soaking liquid.

Pretty porcinis. 

Also there's this, for some reason.

Don't throw the mushrooms out with the bathwater. Actually, in this case, keep both.

Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the mixed mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. 

All the kinds. ALL of them! (Except, unfortunately, enokis.)

Stir in the wine and cook for 5 minutes. 

Red wine brought to you by Two-Buck-Chuck from Trader Joe's. 

And it worked beautifully!

Add the porcini, soaking liquid, stock and parsley. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until the liquid has been reduced by half. Stir in the thyme and enoki and keep warm.

I keep it over low heat, because it took the polenta another ten minutes after this to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, bring 1 litre lightly salted water to the boil in a large saucepan, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a whirlpool and add the polenta in a very thin stream. Cook, stirring, for 20 minutes, or until the polenta comes away from the side of the pan. 

Kind of like this, but more come-away-ing-y.

Stir in the butter and Parmesan, and serve immediately with the ragu over the top. 

Make sure it's good and blurry, like you see here.

My Rating: 5/5 "Absolutely divine. Each flavor builds on the other seamlessly, and although the overall effect is unique, nothing seems out of place. I love mushrooms. And they're expensive - this recipe clued me into just how expensive - but by all that is good and holy this is SO worth it. Try this. Bottom line: try it."