I made this recipe the other night and it's now in the rotation. It is slightly modified from one on Ottolenghi's web site (http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk) - the original used vegetable stock, for example. It was great with an old Burgundy, but a well-aged Barolo should go equally well. It really cries out for "wild" mushrooms (not that they're really wild).
Mushroom and Herb Polenta
4 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz mixed mushrooms, very large ones halved (I used fresh shiitake, oyster and a few morels)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon
1 Tbsp chopped thyme
1 Tbsp truffle oil
2½ cups chicken stock
½ cup polenta (instant or traditional)
3 oz Parmesan, grated
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped chervil
4 oz Taleggio (rind removed), cut into ⅓ inch slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes, or until just cooked; try not to move them much so you get golden-brown patches on their surface. Off the heat, add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil and some salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Bring the stock and polenta to the boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat to the minimum and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. The polenta is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan but is still runny. If you are using instant polenta this shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes; with traditional polenta it could take up to 50 minutes (if it seems to dry out, add some more stock or water but just enough to keep it at a thick porridge consistency).
Preheat the broiler to high. When the polenta is ready, stir in the Parmesan, butter, rosemary and half the chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the polenta over a heatproof dish and top with the Taleggio. Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles. Remove, top with the mushrooms and their juices, and return to the broiler for a minute to warm up. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chervil.
Serves 2.