Polenta w/ Wild Mushrooms and Egg

By: Daniel Lucas

Dish: Vegetable
Season: Fall
Source: Original
Servings: 4-6
Need help? Read the guide

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups of medium-grained polenta
  • 1 bunch of kale or swiss chard
  • 10 oz shrimp, lobster, or cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • pecorino romano
  • 4 eggs (1 per serving)
  • olive oil
  • chili pepper
  • salt
  • pepper

The magic of this dish lies within the rich creamy yolk of the poached egg. I’ve tried every trick in the book to poach the perfect egg but, by far, the most useful trick I’ve learned is to stir the water before dropping in your egg. Doing so allows the “tail” of the egg to wrap around itself creating a beautifully poached egg. To add an additional flair, use some freshly foraged shrimp or lobster mushrooms over store-bought creminis. If you’re hesitant or unable to locate them yourself, there are plenty of vendors at the various Portland farmer’s markets that have a wide selection of foraged mushrooms.

Method

  1. Bring 7 cups of water to a boil with 1tbsp of salt
  2. Slowly add cornmeal, using your hand as a sifter while simultaneously stirring with the other hand. Ensure that the water is at a constant boil.
  3. Stir vigorously for ~10 minutes. At this point, you may begin to cover the polenta with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once every 3-5 minutes.
  4. Around the 20 minute mark reduce the heat. Eventually, the cornmeal will begin to form a mass.
  5. In a large skillet combine garlic, mushrooms, and greens. Cook ~15 minutes.
  6. In a saucepan, bring enough water to fill the saucepan with 4” of water and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar to a light boil for poaching eggs.
  7. Crack an egg into a small bowl, stir the water, and gently let the egg slide out of the bowl into the whirlpool you’ve created. Cook the egg for ~3-4 minutes, and use a slotted spoon to remove and set aside. Repeat for each egg.
  8. Generously season each egg with some fresh cracked black peppercorn.
  9. Serve egg, and greens over polenta with pecorino, olive oil, and chili pepper

Polenta w/ Wild Mushrooms and Egg

By: Daniel Lucas

The magic of this dish lies within the rich creamy yolk of the poached egg. I’ve tried every trick in the book to poach the perfect egg but, by far, the most useful trick I’ve learned is to stir the water before dropping in your egg. Doing so allows the “tail” of the egg to wrap around itself creating a beautifully poached egg. To add an additional flair, use some freshly foraged shrimp or lobster mushrooms over store-bought creminis. If you’re hesitant or unable to locate them yourself, there are plenty of vendors at the various Portland farmer’s markets that have a wide selection of foraged mushrooms.

Method

  1. Bring 7 cups of water to a boil with 1tbsp of salt
  2. Slowly add cornmeal, using your hand as a sifter while simultaneously stirring with the other hand. Ensure that the water is at a constant boil.
  3. Stir vigorously for ~10 minutes. At this point, you may begin to cover the polenta with the lid slightly ajar. Stir once every 3-5 minutes.
  4. Around the 20 minute mark reduce the heat. Eventually, the cornmeal will begin to form a mass.
  5. In a large skillet combine garlic, mushrooms, and greens. Cook ~15 minutes.
  6. In a saucepan, bring enough water to fill the saucepan with 4” of water and 2 tbsp red wine vinegar to a light boil for poaching eggs.
  7. Crack an egg into a small bowl, stir the water, and gently let the egg slide out of the bowl into the whirlpool you’ve created. Cook the egg for ~3-4 minutes, and use a slotted spoon to remove and set aside. Repeat for each egg.
  8. Generously season each egg with some fresh cracked black peppercorn.
  9. Serve egg, and greens over polenta with pecorino, olive oil, and chili pepper

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