Wild Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta

A great, fast meal for two people. This is another winter warmer that makes for a delicious dinner on a cold evening.

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil

350g wild mushrooms (cut in half any that are much bigger than the rest)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

1 tsp chopped thyme

Generous squeeze of lemon

500ml milk or vegetable stock

80g polenta (instant is fine)

80g parmesan, grated

30g butter

Splash of double cream

Extra parmesan for serving

Chopped parsley

Salt and black pepper

Serves 2

Method

-In a large fying pan, heat up half the olive oil, before adding half of the mushrooms.

-Fry them for about three minutes, trying not to move them around too much (you want some nice golden-brown patches). Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the oil and mushrooms.

-Off the heat, return all the mushrooms to the pan along with the crushed garlic, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon.

-Warm the milk in a pan. Slowly stir in the polenta, and when it’s all added turn the heat down to very low. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the polenta starts to leave the sides of the pan but is still runny. It should take about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in 80g of grated parmesan, the butter, a small splash of cream and some chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as necessary.

-Spread the polenta over a nice serving plate, cover with the mushrooms (warmed through if necessary), and grate over some more parmesan and some more chopped parsley.

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