Mushroom ragout transforms cheesy polenta into a comforting 'pot pie' - San Francisco Chronicle

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For a year or so I worked at Chez Panisse as a reservationist, a job that is defined by how good you are at disappointing potential diners, all looking for a table for four Saturday at 7 p.m. With a headset on, my hands were free to complete menial tasks, including odd jobs for the chefs, who would arrive with big baskets of peas to shell or, all fall and winter long, with baskets of mushrooms to clean. So I’d sit there, disappointing people, while simultaneously splitting the stems of black trumpet mushrooms, clearing them of pine needles, bugs and dirt. Prior to that gig, which was years before I became a food writer, the only mushrooms I’d eaten were white button mushrooms and portobellos, the stars of a decade’s worth of depressing vegetarian sandwiches.

I’d never seen the white fluffy lion’s mane mushrooms, which to me looked more like clouds than manes, or golden fluted chanterelles, or pioppini, with tiny tawny caps that look like they belong in a fairy village. And while a lot of those mushrooms still aren’t commercially available (except at specialty shops, at great and justified cost), the average grocery store now sells medleys of astonishing diversity and quality.

Recently, at the average grocery store near me, I bought a few clamshells containing a mixture of those lion’s mane and pioppini, plus velvety oyster mushrooms and shiitakes. I got a bag of cremini mushrooms, too, a very tasty and ubiquitous mushroom (which can grow up to be what is labeled a portobello) to make this earthy, creamy, comforting Polenta & Mushroom “Pot Pie.”

Using a few types of mushrooms in this ragout gives the mixture a more dynamic texture and broader flavor, but it’s not essential. This recipe can be made with whatever mushroom medley you can get your mitts on, or even with one common variety, like button or cremini.

I like to cut the caps of my button or cremini mushrooms into ninths (two cuts in each direction) because I think cubed is better than sliced in this application; sliced mushrooms can frizzle away to nothing, while cubes hold their shape. For the other mushroom varieties, I slice or tear them into bite-size pieces, or, in the case of the pioppini, I just leave the small caps whole.

When cooking the mushrooms for the ragout, some patience is required because they’re best when cooked over moderately high heat in a dry pan that isn’t too crowded. If you crowd the pan the mushrooms steam instead of squeaking around and browning, which is what you want. So cook the mushrooms in several batches, then combine them at the end with some cooked shallots and fresh thyme, season them well, and add a final lashing of creme fraiche or sour cream, which makes everything taste good.

You could pile this beautiful mess on toast, or fill an omelet with it, or just eat it from the pan. But with a small amount of additional effort — that is, stirring something intermittently for a half-hour or so — you can also have cheesy polenta. You could scoop that polenta into bowls and pile the mushrooms on top, of course, but, again, with a tiny bit more effort you can combine mushrooms and polenta in a gratin dish, making an ersatz pot pie, which you bake briefly and then broil until it puffs and browns. Doesn’t that sound good?

Jessica Battilana is a San Francisco freelance writer and the author of “Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need.” Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jbattilana

Polenta & Mushroom “Pot Pie”

Serves 4

If you want to break this recipe into two steps, you can make the mushroom mixture one day and the polenta the next, then combine the two while the polenta is still warm and runny, and bake the pie. I like cheddar in the polenta, but you could also substitute Parmesan or Gruyere. Serve with a big green salad.

Polenta

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup polenta

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mushroom ragout

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large shallots, finely chopped

Pinch kosher salt

20 ounces mixed mushrooms

2 tablespoons brandy, Marsala or dry vermouth

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

¼ cup creme fraiche

Freshly ground black pepper

To make the polenta: In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups of water and the salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, then reduce the heat so the polenta is burbling gently (I call this the La Brea tar pit stage). Cook the polenta, stirring frequently, until the polenta is tender and creamy. This will take at least 25 minutes, but possibly as long as 45; don’t substitute so-called “instant” polenta because, while quick to make, it is not very tasty. When the polenta is tender, stir in the milk, butter and cheddar cheese, then season to taste with additional salt. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top.

To make the mushroom ragout: In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft but are not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and return the pan to the heat. Add a few handfuls of mushrooms and a pinch of salt to the dry pan. You want to add enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the pan, but not so many that the mushrooms crowd and steam. Fry the mushrooms, stirring frequently (they’ll squeak in the pan!), until they are beginning to brown and soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the shallots and repeat with another few handfuls of mushrooms, transferring them to the bowl with the others.

When your final batch of mushrooms is nearly done, add the brandy to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated in the pan. Add the thyme and cook 30 seconds, then return the shallots and mushrooms to the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche, then season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a 9-inch pie plate or a similar-size gratin dish and press into an even layer. Carefully spoon the polenta on top, then let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes so the polenta firms up a bit (the recipe can be prepared to this point and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours). Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then set the dish under the broiler, a few inches from the heating element, and broil until the polenta puffs and is lightly browned (watch carefully so you don’t burn it). Serve right away.

The Link Lonk


January 15, 2021 at 07:00PM
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Mushroom ragout transforms cheesy polenta into a comforting 'pot pie' - San Francisco Chronicle

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