This recipe I tried is from the Readers Digest Low fat No fat cookbook which I also used for the Tofu Omelette recipe last month. I’ve seen lots of versions of this recipe but I was drawn to this one the most because it looked quite rich but still fairly healthy! Mine didn’t quite turn out like the photo in the book because my polenta was a little grainy and not smooth and shiny like theirs! Also my sauce looked less vibrant (however they could have adjusted this in post production I guess). Aesthetics aside I think it tasted delicious! The sauce included red wine, rosemary, mushrooms obviously and also some onions!
In this recipe the polenta is not flavoured with anything so I was a little worried it would be boring but with the mushroom ragu it actually worked really nicely! I think this was nice because any flavourings would have been lost under the rich mushrooms.
I think I prefer Polenta when it has been set and then fried because it’s a little easier to eat, I found this to be a bit sloppy- however I think it may have needed a little extra cooking.
What have I learnt about Polenta?
I’ve taken on board a few things from doing this recipe. Firstly, you don’t need to pack polenta full of flavourings if you are pairing it with a strong sauce as it can help balance a meal out. Secondly I think Polenta is often used as an ingredient to serve on the side but it doesn’t often take centre stage! I’m definitely going to make my polenta the star of the show and also a complete meal (as I felt the river cottage veg meal was more of a snacky lunch for me).
Posted by Corina on February 18, 2012 at 11:00 am
The mushroom sauce looks delicious. I can never quite decide whether I like polenta or not though – I think it can be difficult to get right, but it looks good here.
Posted by veghotpot on February 18, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I know what you mean, I’be cooked it a lot this month and its given me a different opinion each time!
Posted by Magic Mushrooms – The health benefits of mushrooms you may not know about! « veghotpot on January 16, 2013 at 12:31 pm
[...] burgers, on top of pizzas etc and they can even be the main star of the recipe such as in this Rich mushroom ragu. or this Mushroom [...]