Seared Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

I love packages of prepared polenta. Not that polenta is hard to make, but the prepared variety is sold in "tubes", making it easy and fun to slice, reheat and serve. I typically sear polenta slices (either in a large skillet or stove-top grill pan), or I cover the slices with pasta sauce and cheese and bake them in the oven. In this case, I smothered the slices with a creamy and rich wild mushroom sauce. I love this recipe because the polenta is a cinch to work with and it provides the perfect "landing pad" for the insanely good mushroom sauce.

Note that I used a beef demi-glace to add lots of flavor with one ingredient. Demi-glace (demi-glaze in the US) is a rich, brown, French sauce used as the base for other sauces. You can find it in the broth/stock section of your favorite grocery store.

In my opinion, this dish is "meaty" enough to make it a main course (with a side salad or steamed vegetables). If you want to beef things up,  add a grilled steak or chicken breast on the side.

Seared Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced 
8-10 ounces sliced wild mushrooms (I like oyster, chanterelle, morel, cremini, and shiitake)
3/4 cup beef demi-glace
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tube prepared polenta, cut crosswise into 3-inch thick slices (you should get about 8 slices from the tube)
Cooking spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, until tender. Stir in the demi-glace and simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Add the polenta slices to the hot pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned and heated through. Transfer to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add the heavy cream to the mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mushroom sauce over the polenta slices and top with the parsley.

Serves 4


Photo: Serge Bertasius