Polenta Cakes with Roasted Mushroom Ragu
Humble polenta is dressed up with a roasted, herbed mushroom ragu for a quick and fancy appetizer. We’ve used traditional polenta, with a coarse meal in this recipe, which takes a little extra time to cook, but instant polenta can also be used.
Polenta Cakes with Roasted Mushroom Ragu
Yields: 4 Servings, 16 cakes
Method: Roasting
Allergy Info: soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free
Fancy Equipment: parchment paper, food processor
Polenta Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon organic sugar
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (homemade preferred, low sodium as substitute)
1 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Mushroom Ragu Ingredients:
1 pound crimini mushrooms (about 30 mushrooms), chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed (split but still whole)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Ingredients for Assembling:
Olive oil for baking pan
Fresh thyme and oregano leaves for garnishing
Make the polenta:
Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic and bay leaf and sweat, adjust heat to prevent browning. Add the sugar and broth and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta until combined and reduce to a simmer. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning. Turn off heat and cover for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf, discard. Pour the polenta onto a half baking sheet and spread into an even layer, about 1” high. Cover and allow to cool completely in the fridge to set up.
Make the mushroom ragu:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the mushroom mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and caramelized.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place the mushrooms into a food processor with the thyme and oregano. Pulse until the mushrooms resemble a chunky paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the cakes:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut into 1” squares or circles. Carefully move the polenta shapes to an oiled baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly crisp. Top each polenta shape with the warm mushroom ragu and fresh thyme or oregano leaves.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a fresh tomato relish, a rich tomato sauce, or herbed aioli.
Notes:
Italian sausage, apple chicken sausage or chorizo can be added to the mushroom mixture before roasting. Roast until the meat has caramelized, about 10 additional minutes.
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>Dawn, I found your site via Jasmine at CookThatBook. I am blown away and immediately addicted!
>wow, this looks so much more restaurant-worthy than the mushrooms and grits i posted a few weeks ago. i'm doing it this way next time. (because there will be a next time, oh yes."
>These polenta cakes look amazing. I have yet to master making polenta and I think this recipe is a place to try.