Ingredients
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 3 ounce (about 2/3 cup) cornmeal, preferably coarse ground
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated grana padano or parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives (optional)
- 2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 3 ounce (about 2/3 cup) cornmeal, preferably coarse ground
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated grana padano or parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives (optional)
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup homemade chicken reduction or purchased chicken reduction, diluted with water to a liquid
- 1 tablespoon snipped chives
Preparation
Baking Directions:
For creamy polenta: In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high heat just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
Add the salt, and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy.
Add the cornmeal and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil.
Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cornmeal is completely cooked and quite tender, about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
It may seem very thin initially, but it will gradually thicken.
As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which is proper and which gives the polenta a slightly toasty flavor.
Just before serving, stir in the butter, the grana padano, and the chives, if using.
The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools.
If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk just before serving.
Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.
For fricassee of truffled mushrooms: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until the shallots just begin to color on their edges.
Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is released.
Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Have the polenta portioned out into warm bowls.
Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms if necessary.
Toss the mushrooms with the chives and drizzle a little of the truffle oil over the mushrooms.
Be careful not to cook the truffle oil more than a few seconds, because the flavor (and the "breathe") dissipates quickly.
Spoon some mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of polenta.