Creamed Chanterelle Mushrooms with Polenta

When it comes to wild mushrooms you cannot get them except in season, end of story. So when chanterelles show their gorgeous orange yellow trumpets on the mushroom aisle, they get scooped up fast! You can also find them at farmers' markets if you have a mushroom forager stall. Grab some and make this dish - you'll be smitten too!

Of course chanterelles are great over pasta as well, but if you're looking for a break from wheat or gluten, polenta is almost as quick and easy to make. Try not to over cook the polenta because then it becomes kind of rubbery, which is not bad if you want to then slice it and place it under the broiler with more butter and cheese. However a more creamy, pour-able version is what you are looking for in this recipe.

This post jumped ahead of lots of others because chanterelle season doesn't last long! Thankfully it is not as short as Morels (3-5 weeks at best!) but they will be gone faster than you think, so go get some now!

Creamed Chanterelle Mushrooms with Polenta
(serves 2-3)

Creamed Chanterelles
1/2 lb Chanterelle Mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
salt
pepper
10 sprigs parsley, destemmed and minced

Polenta
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated cheese (asiago, parmesan, romano)
pepper

Clean mushrooms by dusting off any conspicuous dirt, checking in creases. Cut into large bite size pieces, discarding stems if they feel slightly woody. Heat a skillet on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add butter and olive oil and once butter melts, add garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until they soften. Add mushrooms and toss to coat and cook for 10-15 minutes over medium low heat until mushrooms have given up all of their liquid and are just beginning to stick to the pan. Add cream and turn down to a simmer and allow mushrooms to poach in the cream. Season with pepper and salt and stir in parsley; keep warm on very low heat.

Make polenta by combining water and polenta in small pot and cooking over medium high heat, stirring ever minute or so until polenta comes to boil. Turn heat down to low (not a simmer) and stir ever 30 seconds as polenta bubbles away and the grains of cornmeal dissolve and the mixture becomes more gelatinous, 7-10 minutes. Tasting the polenta it should be creamy and not grainy. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. Dollop polenta on plates and spoon creamed mushrooms on top and serve immediately with salt and pepper to taste.

Hugs!