Sometimes you just want something totally simple that warms your heart. This pretty much does it for me! A few years ago (and by a few I’m thinking at least 4 years ago) I was on Dean’s Colloquium trip to Italy where we went to Venice, Verona and I want to say Vicenza. We ate a lot of crappy group meals on that trip including one stop in Verona where we had polenta, sauteed mushrooms and gorgonzola. At the time it was pretty awful. The gorgonzola smelled like old gym socks that had been soaked in something disgusting. The polenta and mushroom part wasn’t so bad but it wasn’t great either. No one in the group ate it, but I managed to pick around the polenta and mushrooms and have an OK meal.
Not sure why but a few years later I wanted to recreate that meal — but not gross. I’ve always been a fan of polenta and of course, of mushrooms. Gorgonzola has never been my favourite cheese but I’ve grown to appreciate it over the years. I really just like the idea of a creamy, porridge-like bowl of polenta topped with earthy herbed mushroom and tangy gorgonzola.
Over the years I’ve done a few searches online for similar recipes but could never find one that was perfect. I had a feeling for the flavours that I wanted so I just decided to go for it.
Here’s the rundown. I’m not really into measuring… everything that follows is a rough guide.
SAUTEED MUSHROOMS WITH POLENTA
Mushrooms (I use a mixture of white, portabello, shitake and cremini … whatever I can find at the market), sliced
Onion, chopped
Garlic, minced
Olive oil
Rosemary, dried or fresh
Thyme, dried or fresh
Chicken broth (if you have it around)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Gorgonzola
Your favourite polenta recipe (I use This One by Giada)
* Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil to soften
* Add mushrooms, a few pinches of the herbs and salt and pepper. Sautee for a few minutes.
* If using, add a bit of broth to the mixture to make a light sauce in the pan
* When the mushrooms are cooked, plate the polenta, top with crumbled gorgonzola and the mushroom mixture. The heat from the polenta and mushrooms will melt the cheese and make it gooey and yummy.
