Porcini Matzo Polenta Wedges Food

POLENTA AI FUNGHI PORCINI

Steps:

• Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large heavy stockpot. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then remove the pot from heat and add polenta flour by the handful, beating constantly. Continue to add the flour slowly, controlling the flow to a thin stream through your fingers to avoid lumps. Return the pot to the stove and bring to low simmer. Continue cooking for about 40 minutes, stirring constantly. Polenta will be done when it cleanly pulls away from the sides of the pot. Stir in the butter, heavy cream and cheese. Once combined, carefully pour the polenta onto a large sheet pan (12 by 18-inch). Spread it out evenly and let it cool completely until firm to the touch, about 1 1/2 hours.
• In a large saute pan over high heat, add the butter, chopped garlic, porcini mushrooms, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook without stirring until the water from the mushrooms has been released and has evaporated. Add the Marsala wine, and parsley and begin stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the ingredients are incorporated, add the cream, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the cream is reduced by half and has a thick consistency. Remove from the heat and keep covered. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil over high heat in a large deep pot or a deep-fryer. Meanwhile, slice the cooled polenta into desired size and shape. Once the oil has reached frying temperature, add the polenta, in batches, and deep-fry until golden brown.
• Arrange the polenta on serving plates and spoon the desired amount of sauce over the top. Garnish with the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately.

POLENTA WEDGES

Steps:

• Combine milk, chives, garlic, salt, and paprika in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. While whisking, slowly sprinkle in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until polenta has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add Parmesan and butter; stir until combined. Pour polenta into an 8 1/2-inch springform pan; let rest until completely set, about 45 minutes at room temperature.
• Preheat the broiler. Remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Cut the polenta into eight wedges. Coat with olive-oil spray, and place on a rack in the oven several inches underneath the broiler. Broil the polenta until golden brown on top and heated through, about 8 minutes. Serve.

WILD MUSHROOM POLENTA WITH PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Prep the porcini:
• In a small bowl, combine porcini mushrooms and 1 cup warm water. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes. Remove porcini mushrooms from the liquid, strain and reserve liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and set aside.
• Roast the mushrooms:
• While the porcini are soaking, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 450°F. On two rimmed baking sheets, gently toss mushrooms with thyme and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast mushrooms until edges are browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté shallot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add white wine and bay leaf and increase heat; boil until most liquid evaporates, about 7 minutes. Add reserved chopped porcini mushrooms, vegetable stock, and reserved mushroom liquid. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
• In a small bowl, stir butter and flour together until it forms a paste. Whisk the butter mixture into the mushroom sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Make the polenta:
• In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water and the salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the polenta, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until thickened and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the cheese,and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve polenta immediately topped with porcini sauce and roasted mushrooms.

BRAISED VEAL WITH GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over porcini in a bowl and let stand until softened, 10 to 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into another bowl. Chop porcini and reserve for polenta.
• Pat veal dry and cut 20 (1 1/2-inch-deep) slits all over with a thin-bladed knife. Stuff each slit with a slice of garlic, then season veal with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown veal on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add wine and deglaze pot by boiling over high heat (keep veal in pot), stirring and scraping up brown bits, until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in porcini-soaking liquid and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, turning veal every 30 minutes, until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Transfer veal to a cutting board and cool completely.
• Skim any fat and froth from surface of pan juices, then boil until reduced to about 2 cups. Pour through a very fine sieve into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir dissolved potato starch, then whisk into pan juices. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened.
• Make gremolata:
• Stir together gremolata ingredients.
• Stir half of gremolata into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Chill remaining gremolata, covered.
• Heat and serve veal:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove strings from veal and cut meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Overlap slices in a 13- by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish and pour sauce over meat. Cover dish with foil and heat in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining gremolata.

POLENTA WITH PORCINI SAUCE

Steps:

• soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml boiling water for 10 minutes.
• heat 1 litre of water in a pan, bring to boil and add polenta, constantly stirring until thick and creamy (about 5 mins).
• remove rind from cheese, chop and add to polenta. Keep polenta warm.
• Heat oil and fry fresh mushrooms for 4 mins, add garlic and fry for another minute.
• chop porcini and add the mushrooms and liquor to the pan, add the tomatoes and herbs, seasoning if desired cook for 5 minutes.
• put polenta in bowl and pour sauce over top.

PORCINI MATZO POLENTA WEDGES

Steps:

• Cook onion in 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add porcini and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Cool, then stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring broth and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Gradually add matzo meal, whisking, and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 2 minutes more. Stir in porcini and salt and pepper to taste. Spread polenta in an oiled 9-inch glass pie plate and let stand until firm, about 1 hour.
• Cut polenta into 12 wedges. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook wedges until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes total.