Pan Fried Polenta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
A fancy and romantic date night dish, inspired by a high end Italian restaurant, made easy.
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Ingredients
For the Fried Polenta
- 1 4x8 inch strip Creamy Polenta cooled + set
- ½ Cup All-purpose flour sub gluten free flour to make gluten free
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil for frying
- Salt to taste
For the Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Meyer Lemon Olive Oil or 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Shallot minced
- 1 Clove Garlic minced
- 2 Cups White Mushrooms sliced
- ½ Cup Dry White Wine such as sauvignon blanc
- ¼ Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 2 Oz Mascarpone or Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Parmesan Reggiano fresh grated, fine + more to garnish
- 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- Fresh Parsley chopped, to garnish
- ½ tsp Salt or more, to taste
Instructions
To Make the Fried Polenta
- Carefully remove the cooled polenta from the baking dish and place on a cutting board. Use a butter knife and gently release the polenta from the edge of the dish if needed.
- Slice a strip about 4 inches wide and 8 inches long. Cut that strip in ½ to make 4x4 inch squares. Cut the squares in ½ on the diagonal to make a triangle.
- Carefully coat the top and bottom of the polenta triangles in flour. Try not to get the sides of the polenta covered in flour.
- Preheat olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- While the polenta is frying, start the mushroom sauce.
- Once the oil is hot, add the polenta triangles, bottom side in the oil. Cook 5 minutes or until golden brown and releases easily from the pan. Flip the polenta triangle over and cook the top side for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from pan and set on a cooling rack over a baking sheet (this will keep the polenta crispy) season with salt.
To Make the Mushroom Cream Sauce
- In a saute pan over medium - high heat add: the lemon olive oil and minced shallots. Saute 3 - 5 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5- 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn down the heat to medium if needed.
- Stir in garlic and salt, then deglaze the pan with wine and allow to simmer for 3 minutes to remove the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and reduce 3 -5 more minutes.
- Stir in the mascarpone or cream cheese and allow to melt, about 2 mins.
- Stir the parmesan cheese and heavy cream until melted.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Does it need more salt? More Lemon?
Plating
- Place 2 polenta triangles on a plate, spoon the mushroom sauce to cover, sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated parmesan and serve!
Notes
** Make the creamy polenta the night before and allow it to take shape.
**Meyer Lemon Olive Oil – I find the lemon flavored olive oil makes this dish extra special. If you don’t have it on hand simply substitute with 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest.
**Dry White Wine – This is one of the defining flavors of the dish, so choose a wine you would drink. If you don’t drink wine, use ¾ cup stock and add 1-2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
**Grate the parmesan cheese fresh with a microplane (affiliate link), so that the cheese easily melts into the sauce.
**Season and rest the finished polenta on a cooling rack. If you cool the polenta on a plate or cutting board, the bottom side may lose that crispy crust.
**I don't recommend keeping the polenta warm in the oven. The polenta crust will get soft and you'll lose the crispy exterior.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5dishCalories: 770kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 18gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 930mgPotassium: 465mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1005IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 372mgIron: 3mg
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