Mushroom and Pancetta Polenta

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 10 Crimini or porcini mushrooms, sliced and or diced
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • 2 Tbsp Spice Horizon Tuscan herb infused olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups polenta (corn grits)
  • 4oz diced pancetta (Italian bacon)
  • 3 shallots, sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup organic chicken broth (reduced salt)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Spice Horizon finely ground Himalayan sea salt
  • 1 tsp Spice Horizon black peppercorns, ground
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice mushrooms and dice pancetta.   
  3. In a heavy skillet Sauté pancetta and shallots until pancetta is crispy and shallots caramelized (remove from heat and reserve pancetta and onions)
  4. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil into the heavy skillet over medium heat.
  5. Add mushrooms and ground pepper to the heated oil, stirring until all moisture has been released from the mushrooms. Add red wine to mushrooms and sauté until all liquid has cooked out again (remove from heat and reserve mushrooms).
  6. Bring water, cream, chicken broth and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
  7. Pour the polenta into the water slowly, stirring constantly until all of the polenta is well mixed and there are no visible lumps.
  8. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, still stirring often until the polenta starts to thicken (about 5 minutes).
  9. Place heat at the lowest level, cover and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. (a heat diffuser or double boiler can be used at this point if you prefer)
  10. The polenta is done when the texture is creamy and the corn meal grains are tender.  Add more liquid if the polenta gets too stiff.
  11. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 Tbsp of the butter.  Then add the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until the butter and cheese are completely mixed together.
  12. Stir in the mushrooms, pancetta and onions
  13. Transfer the polenta into ramekins
  14. Grate some Parmesan cheese on the top of each ramekin and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of the remaining unsalted (melted) butter on the top of all ramekins.
  15. Place ramekins on a baking pan and place in oven for 15 minutes until the cheese begins to turn brown
  16. Remove from oven and serve.

Things you'll need for this recipe...

 

Cart (0)