michelle picker cooks

Mushrooms at their best with sage and cheesy polenta.

For this dish you will need at least 450g (1lb) of mushrooms (I used Swiss brown) and a few dried porcini mushrooms. Soak the porcini mushrooms in a little boiling water until soft. Meanwhile fry 20-30 fresh sage leaves in olive oil until crisp and set them aside on a paper towel. Bring 1 litre (1 quart) of water to boil in a saucepan and add ½ a teaspoon of salt. Transfer 200g (7 oz) of polenta into a jug with a good spout. Reduce the water to a simmer and slowly pour the polenta into it while stirring with a whisk. When the polenta begins to erupt turn the heat down as low as possible and continue to cook, stirring, until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Add 85g (3 oz) of butter, 130g (4½ oz) of freshly grated parmesan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat. For the mushrooms, dice 1 or 2 brown shallots and gently fry them in a mixture of olive oil and butter until translucent. Deglaze with a little white wine and cook for a few minutes. Slice all of the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the mushrooms until they are soft, adding a little liquid if necessary. Serve the mushrooms over the polenta and garnish with fried sage leaves.