Best Easy Mushroom Garlic Polenta Pizza Recipes

POLENTA PIZZA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Prepare the polenta base. Bring three and one-half cups of water to a boil in a deep saucepan. In a mixing bowl, combine one cup of cold water with the cornmeal and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a thick paste. Whisk the paste into the boiling water and simmer, stirring constantly for 15 to 20 minutes or until the mixture is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and add the butter and Parmesan cheese.
• Pour the polenta into an oiled 12-inch round pan and flatten into a circle. Cool at room temperature for at least one hour or until the top feels dry.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the polenta with one tablespoon of oil and bake for 20 minutes. (If it puffs, prick it with a fork.)
• In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in two tablespoons of oil until the onion is translucent. Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the tomatoes, mushroom powder, herbs, salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley.
• Spoon the topping onto the polenta and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere, Emmenthaler or Mozzarella cheese. Bake for five to seven minutes or until the cheese has melted and the topping bubbles. Cut into wedges and serve with grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour in the boiling water. Press them down into the water now and then until they are soft, anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how dry they were. When it's time to cook them, lift them out of the water with your hands or a slotted spoon and chop them roughly. Reserve the soaking water.
• Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the soaked dried and fresh mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and have released all their liquid. 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the wine and let it bubble away for 1 minute, then stir in the garlic, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and 1 cup of the reserved soaking water. Cook until the liquid thickens a bit, another 2 or 3 minutes, then taste, adjust the seasoning, and turn off the heat under the skillet.
• Put the polenta in a medium pot with 1 cup water and whisk to form a smooth slurry. Whisk in the milk and a pinch of salt and set the pot over medium-high heat. Heat until the mixture boils then lower the heat to medium and cook, whisking frequently adding more water a little at a time to prevent lumps and keep the mixture somewhat soupy. Expect to add another 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of water before the polenta is ready. The polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the grind. It will be thick and creamy, with just a little grittiness, and the mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan when you stir. When the polenta is done, turn the heat under the mushrooms to medium to warm them quickly.
• Stir the butter and cheese into the polenta then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the polenta topped with the mushrooms and garnished with the remaining 1/4 cup parsley.
• Cooks' Notes
• Soaking Dried Mushrooms: The time needed to soften mushrooms depends on their size and age. They're ready when you can cut one easily with a paring knife. You want to reserve the soaking liquid but leave the grit behind, so lift out the mushrooms rather than pouring to drain them.
• Making The Sauce: When the mushrooms are tender and the wine has bubbled away, stir in the garlic, parsley, and soaking water.
• Making Polenta by the Slurry Method: When the slurry just starts to boil, turn it down a bit so it bubbles gently. Add more water or stir with a wooden spoon.
• Recognizing Doneness: When the polenta starts to pull away from the pan and is no longer gritty, it's time to stir in the butter and Parmesan.