Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

For 4 servings

For the mushroom sauté

• 500g (1 lb) mushrooms (button, oyster, shimeji, according to your taste…)
• a few fresh spinach leaves (optional but delicious!)
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 cloves of garlic (or a bit of garlic powder)
• 200ml (¾ cup) heavy cream

For the polenta

• 400g (2 cups) fine polenta
• a pinch of nutmeg
• 2 knobs of butter
• about 1L (4 cups) water (or vegetable broth)
• 1L (4 cups) milk (adjust according to desired consistency)
• freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt, crushed black pepper

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

It’s important to choose fine polenta, which is best suited for this recipe.

Preparing the mushroom sauté

1. Brush and slice the mushrooms. Put them in a pan over high heat with a little olive oil. For the mushrooms to get a nice golden color, let them sit for a few minutes without stirring. When a pleasant aroma develops, season with salt and pepper, add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and spinach leaves. When cooked (the spinach and mushrooms are fairly tender), add a knob of butter and mix. Pour in the heavy cream and let reduce over low heat. When the sauce is reduced but still creamy, it’s ready - keep warm.

Preparing the polenta

2. In a large pot, heat the butter, water, and milk (I start with 5 glasses of each and add the rest depending on the desired texture - we like it creamy and not too thick, but it’s up to you). Pour in the polenta very gradually while whisking to avoid lumps (lower the heat and watch out for splatters), and cook over low heat while stirring until smooth. Cooking time depends on your polenta - some are pre-cooked so it could be 10 minutes, otherwise more like 25-30 minutes. When it’s cooked (taste it - the small polenta grains should be well incorporated into the liquid and tender), add a knob of butter, season with salt and pepper, add the nutmeg, and grate in some Parmesan.

Preparing the egg (optional)

3. Place the eggs in a pot of lightly salted water. As soon as it boils, count 4 minutes then turn off the heat and rinse the eggs under cold water to stop the cooking. Peel them very carefully and set aside.

Serve the polenta hot with the mushrooms, soft-boiled egg, and lightly dust with Parmesan.

Tips and variations

• Polenta is more of a last-minute dish to keep its creamy side, but if you want to prepare it ahead, you’ll need to loosen it with a little water or milk, mixing vigorously with a whisk over medium heat until it regains that pleasant smooth consistency.
• If you have too much, you can pour the extra into a baking dish and refrigerate to make fried polenta sticks the next day - a ready-made preparation.
• For a lactose-free version, replace the milk with vegetable broth.