99. Polenta with Mushroom and Lentil Ragu

Name: 99. Polenta with Mushroom and Lentil Ragu
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 carrots, finely diced; 1/2 celery, finely diced; 140g tomato paste; 50mL brandy; 1L beef stock, vegetarian; 700g mushrooms, whole or halved if large; 200g dry puy lentils; Bunch thyme, tied together with string; 500g polenta; 2L water; 20g sea salt; 50g butter; 60g parmesan cheese, grated

4 steps

Prep:20minCook:1h

This can easily be made vegan by forgoing the butter, and using nutritional yeast or toasted breadcrumbs instead of parmesan. Be aware that traditional polenta takes about 30 minutes to cook, and needs to be stirred throughout - it’s hard work! If that’s not for you, you can still enjoy this recipe, just use “instant” polenta varieties, which are finer grains, and take about 5 minutes. It’s not the same texture, but still a perfectly valid option!

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:46:16 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories678.1 kcal (34%)

Total Fat19.2 g (27%)

Carbs98.1 g (38%)

Sugars9.5 g (11%)

Protein26.9 g (54%)

Sodium1580.2 mg (79%)

Fiber11 g (39%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

3 Tbspolive oil

0.5celery

50mlbrandy

1 Lbeef stock

vegetarian

700gmushrooms

whole or halved if large

200gdry puy lentils

thyme

tied together with string

500gpolenta

2lwater

20gsea salt

50gbutter

60gparmesan cheese

grated

Instructions

Step 1

Sauté the onion gently in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic, celery and carrot, and a pinch of salt, and allow to sweat a little, before adding the tomato paste. Allow this all to toast and get a little stuck to the pan, before deglazing with the brandy (let the alcohol cook off for 10-20 seconds), and the beef-style stock. Make sure to scrape any stuck bits of tomato paste away from the bottom or sides of the pan. Throw in the mushrooms and lentils, and simmer for around one hour with the lid ajar so it reduces. If it doesn’t seem to be reducing into a thick Ragu, take the lid completely off and turn the heat up a touch. Stir occasionally.

Step 2

You can now start making the polenta by first heating a pot with the water, and adding the salt. I know it looks like a lot, but it does need it. When it is boiling, use a whisk to create a whirlpool, and pour the polenta in a steady stream into the pot. Reduce the heat to low so that the polenta doesn’t become molten lava. Keep it all moving with the whisk until it thickens and you can’t use the whisk anymore - switch to a wooden spoon. Keep stirring the polenta, which needs to cook for 30 minutes. You will see when it’s cooked it will seem to come away from the sides of the pot. It is hard work stirring polenta, so if this is not for you, you could use the instant polenta, which has a gummier texture but is ready in 5 minutes.

Step 3

When cooked, add the knob of butter to combine, and turn off the heat. Transfer the polenta to a serving dish to cool it slightly and allow it to rest. If you’ve done it all right, you should have polenta that is somehow both fluffy and gelatinous. That’s what we’re after.

Step 4

Scoop the polenta into bowls, top with the ragu, and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese before serving.