Fresh Porcini Food

PORCINI MUSHROOMS BORDEAUX-STYLE: CEPES A LA BORDELAISE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt the butter with the lemon juice over medium heat. Add the mushroom caps, cover, and cook, for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, increase the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soft, 20 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

GORGONZOLA POLENTA WITH FRESH PORCINI

Steps:

• In a skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and brown mushrooms with salt to taste, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove lid and simmer mixture 3 minutes, or until liquid reduces slightly. Stir in parsley and lemon juice and keep warm.
• Stir 1/2 cup Gorgonzola into warm polenta until smooth. Divide polenta among 4 plates and spoon mushroom mixture on top. Tear remaining Gorgonzola into small pieces and sprinkle over each serving.
• Garnish polenta with parsley.
• In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 40 minutes for cornmeal and about 15 minutes for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
• Note: In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor. However, Italian-food expert Marcella Hazan has developed a method that involves very little stirring during this time. We believe it produces a very good polenta, one nearly as flavorful and smooth as the traditional procedure. To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in a mere fifteen minutes.

PORCINI-CRUSTED FILET MIGNON WITH FRESH HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter. Season butter to taste with salt and pepper. Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder to fine powder. Transfer powder to plate. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Press steaks into porcini powder to coat both sides well.
• Melt 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.