Servings: 4
Preheat:
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021827-creamy-vegan-polenta-with-mushrooms-and-kale?searchResultPosition=2
I modified this to make it non-vegan and added dried porcini mushrooms, because they make everything more delicious. We made it with chard, but chard wilts quickly in the mushrooms and doesn’t present well in leftovers, so I would recommend using kale. We left out the rosemary, and it was fine.
Ingredients:
FOR THE POLENTA:
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ½ cups polenta, medium- or coarse-grind cornmeal, or corn grits
3 tablespoons butter
FOR THE MUSHROOMS:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in 1/2 cup warm water, then chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
⅔ cup full-bodied red wine
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large or 2 small bunches (about 10 ounces) kale (best) or Swiss chard, stemmed, then leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Directions:
Make the polenta: Bring 6 cups vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta, then turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the polenta has thickened to your liking, 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter. Season to taste with salt and black pepper; cover and set aside.
Prepare the mushrooms: While the polenta simmers, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add filtered water used to soak porcini mushroom to pan. Raise the heat to medium-high, and add the fresh mushrooms and, optionally, the rosemary to the skillet. Cook, tossing occasionally and adding a splash of olive oil if the pan looks dry, until the mushrooms have released their water and are tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. (Be careful not to let the garlic burn.) Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring to incorporate, until it turns a rusty brown color and begins to caramelize on the bottom of the pan.
Add the red wine and cook, stirring and scraping the brown bits from the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half.
Add the 1 cup vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer. Begin adding handfuls of kale, cooking and stirring until the kale wilts. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid in the pan reduces and thickens, about 10 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the polenta over medium-low, adding a splash of broth to loosen it if necessary. Serve the polenta and braised mushrooms and kale in shallow bowls, sprinkled with parsley.