Buttery garlic mushrooms on polenta with parmesan

This is comfort food at its best! Add some greens if you prefer, like spinach, leeks or broccolini.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

60 g butter, plus another tablespoon

About 250 g (8 large) brown mushrooms, whole

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 liter chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup polenta

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

A handful Italian parsley, finely chopped

Method:

1. For the mushrooms: using a wide pan, melt the butter and arrange the mushrooms, stems down, in the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes over high heat, then turn them over. Add the garlic to the buttery juices in the pan, shaking it to cook evenly. After about a minute, use a spoon and tip the pan to spoon some of the fried garlic butter into the hollow of each mushroom. Cover with a lid and cook until they soften (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat, add another tablespoon of butter to the hot pan and leave to rest/melt, covered, while you prepare the polenta.
2. For the polenta: Heat the stock in a medium pot over high heat. When the stock starts to boil, add the polenta all at once, stirring well. Keep on stirring until the polenta thickens, lowering the heat to a slow simmer. Stir until it is cooked (about 3-5 minutes in total). Add the cream and parmesan and season to taste. Serve at once, topped with the warm buttery mushrooms, a scatter of parsley and more parmesan cheese.

* Recipe courtesy of The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association