What is Mushroom Polenta?
Mushroom polenta is cornmeal porridge, cooked with milk, olive oil and seasonings, and topped with sautéed cremini mushrooms. It has a rich, creamy texture and a deep, earthy flavor.
Ingredients
Cremini Mushrooms, also called Baby Bella mushrooms, are immature portobello mushrooms. They are dark brown with a smooth, rounded cap. Their flavor is deep and earthy. Whole or sliced, they can be used raw in salads or sautéed or grilled and served with omelets, pasta or as a side dish with meats.
Whole milk is a full fat cow's milk. Milk comes from a cow and is pasteurized and sold as a liquid dairy product. Whole milk is white and has a very thin viscosity. Whole milk has 3.25% milk fat in it and a rich and creamy flavor with a hint of sweetness. It is served as a beverage and is used extensively in cooking and baking as a liquid.
Corn flour is made from dried corn kernels. The kernels are ground into a fine flour that can be used in baking. The flour is soft and has a mildly sweet corn flavor when baked into a bread or any other item. Corn flour can also be used for encrusting fish and meat. The difference between white and yellow corn flour is the color of the kernel.
Olive oil is extracted from the fresh olive, which grows on a tree. Many olives are needed in the extraction of the oil. This is done by a mechanical process and sometimes by a chemical process, though the mechanical method is highly preferred. Olive oil is a golden color and changes slightly due to whether it is extra virgin, or first cold pressed. The flavor of olive oil depends on how it was processed. Lower quality oils will taste mild, while high quality olive oils will have a robust flavor that is green, or may have a spicy quality. Extra virgin and first cold pressed or preferred. Olive oil lends a depth of flavor to any savory dish.
Gorgonzola was first made around 879 AD, making it one of the oldest type of blue cheese in existence and today. Gorgonzola is an Italian cheese with blue veins; the veins are penicillin mold, yet edible. The cheese is made from unskimmed cow's milk and has a texture that is firm, buttery and crumbly. The flavor is salty and the blue veins give it a sharp bite.
Wine is a fermented alcoholic drink with a long history. Today specific varieties of grape are cultivated specifically for wine. There are many kinds of red wine, including Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Red wine has a dark red color and a thin water-like viscosity. Some types are darker or lighter in color. Each type of wine tastes different. In general, the flavor is a bit sour and may include hints of oak, fruit, citrus and minerals, among other notes. Some red wine is heavy and full of tannins, while others are light and have a milder taste. Red wine is commonly served as a drink and can be used in cooking to add a full depth of flavor.
Parsley is an aromatic herb with slender green stalks and sturdy, small green leaves. There are two common types of parsley, curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. Italian parsley has a more robust flavor than curly parsley. Though each type tastes green, spicy and vegetal, with a hint of bitterness. Parsley is used as and herb to flavor dishes and as a garnish.
Butter is made from churned cream, usually from a cow. It has a cream color and a texture that is smooth and melts easily. The flavor is mild and creamy. Butter is often sold in square sticks, or as a flat or round block. It is delicious on bread. It pairs better in baked goods than salted butter, due to its more neutral taste. It also makes an excellent cooking fat.
Porcini mushrooms have a large, domed cap and are reddish-brown with darker gills and lighter-colored thick stems. They have a rich, nutty flavor and a firm texture. Dried porcini mushrooms have been thinly sliced and dried, which intensifies the umami flavor and adds a deep smoky note. They are softened in water or broth and used in meat, rice, or pasta dishes.
Garlic is used in cuisines around the world and is extremely popular for its depth of flavor. The garlic bulb forms underneath the soil and is harvested once it reaches maturity. The bulb typically has thin, dry, white and flaky skin, surrounding the individual cloves. Often there are 10-12 cloves to a bulb/head of garlic. The cloves are cream colored with a strong smell and flavor that is spicy and sharp. Garlic takes on a nutty flavor in addition, when cooked. It is used in countless dishes, sauces, breads and more.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
The peppercorn plant grows in tropical climate and produces tiny black fruit. The fruit is dried and become hard. At this point it is ground into a textured powder comprised of black and grey dots. It has a flavor that is spicy, pungent and sharp. Pepper is an extremely popular spice, especially in Western cuisines and lends a gentle heat to dishes. There are different varieties of black pepper and the flavor changes subtly because of this.
