This plant-based recipe is delicious!
Recipes and styling by Claire Ferrandi
Photograph by Dylan Swart
Wild mushroom ragù and creamy coconut polenta
Ingredients
RAGÙ
- olive oil, to sauté
- 45g butter (optional)
- 2 onions, peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- handful fresh sage, chopped
- 600g exotic mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 50g dry shiitake mushrooms
- 500ml (2 cups) red wine
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- handful fresh basil, chopped
POLENTA
- 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
- 195g polenta
- 2 tsp vegetable stock powder
- 1 x 400g tin coconut cream
- 30g butter (optional)
- grated Parmesan/Grana Padano, to serve (optional)
Instructions
For the ragù, heat a drizzle of olive oil and the butter (if using) in a pan placed over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and sage until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the roughly chopped mushrooms and dried mushrooms, and fry until they soften, about 10 – 15 minutes. Add the red wine, mustard and bay leaves, then simmer the ragù on low heat until the sauce thickens, 15 – 20 minutes. Add more butter to your sauce, if you like. Add the freshly chopped basil and set aside while you make the polenta.
To make the polenta, bring the water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the polenta, stirring continuously with a spatula to avoid lumps. Add the stock powder and coconut cream and continue to cook on medium heat until the polenta is soft and creamy, 10 – 15 minutes. Stir in the butter. Season with salt to taste.
Serve the ragù on the polenta with fresh basil and Parmesan/Grana Padano, if desired.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
