This is a recipe I owe a nod of gratitude to one my old chefs, John Manyo, over at Morel in Milwaukee. This was a staple dish we had on the menu at all times for whatever mushrooms, wild or cultivated, we had on hand. A nice hearty side dish/ appetizer that can be a great start to a meal while also highlighting the seasons depending on what mushrooms you decide to use throughout the year.
Now technically a fricassee is a French meat dish consisting of any piece of meat that is then smothered in a white sauce, typically made of a light stock, cream, butter and some aromatics. But at Morel we did a twist on it, subbing mushrooms for the meat and polenta for the white sauce.
WHAT INGREDIENTS AND MUSHROOMS TO USE
Polenta is a great base for many dishes, and sauteed mushrooms are no exception. The rich creaminess of the polenta, especially if you can get local hand milled polenta, matched with the meatiness of the mushrooms makes the perfect balance of flavors and textures. When I can’t get local polenta I will try and use Bob’s Red Mill polenta, as the coarseness is quite small which makes for creamier polenta and a quicker cook time!
The best part about this dish is you can use any mushroom you would like, weather it’s some freshly foraged morels or cultivated oyster mushrooms. Now depending on the mushroom the cook time may vary when you are sautéing them as every mushroom is different, but just taste test along the way to make sure the texture and flavor are to your liking.
COOKING PROCESS AND SEASONINGS
Be careful not to over cook the mushrooms as you want there to be some contrast in texture between the creamy polenta while still having some meat-like texture to the mushrooms. Start with a little water in the pan as well to help steam the mushrooms, as this also helps cook out some of the moisture from them as well.
Also feel free to mess around with different seasonings during the cooking process. I personally like to start with some garlic, chili flakes and some lemon juice, then a little S+P (salt and pepper for all you beginning cooks) at the beginning. Add a cube or two of butter once the mushrooms are closer to being done. This will help pull all the seasonings together and stick to the shrooms!
Make sure that the polenta is still warm before serving since as soon as it begins to cool down it will start to turn into a big mass of cooked corn and loss it’s creaminess. Feel free to add any cream/butter or cheese at the end to add a little flair to it! I personally like to add a nice 5-year aged cheddar to my polenta to give it some depth and richness to the plate, but choose whatever best suits your taste buds!
Wild Mushroom Fricassee
Equipment
- Medium Sauce Pot
- Small/medium sauté pan
- Pairing knife
- Whisk (medium-sized)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Polenta (Bob's red mill or local hand milled polenta if possible)
- 3-5 cups Water (dependent on coarseness of polenta)
- 2 cups Milk (optional/ use in place of 2 cups water)
- 1-2 Tblsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp shaved garlic
- 1 Tblsp EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
- Pinch Chili flakes/ cayenne/ spice blend
- 1 Tblsp Salt (for the polenta)
- TT Salt and Pepper
- 1-2 cubes Butter (cold)
- 1 Tblsp Chives (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms of any debris or dirt that may be on them using a pairing knife. Cut into smaller pieces if necessary otherwise try and keep them whole (will look better for presentation).
- Place water (and milk if using) in a medium sauce pot and bring to a simmer on medium high heat. Make sure if using milk to not have heat turned up too high otherwise it will scorch the milk.
- Once water/milk come to a simmer add polenta, turn heat down to low and start to whisk immediately. This will help prevent your polenta from forming lumps and make it nice and creamy. Continue to whisk every 5 minutes. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the polenta doesn't have any crunch bits left to it when eaten.
- Once your polenta is halfway through cooking, add your cleaned mushrooms to a sauté pan with a little bit of water. Place on stovetop on high heat to start steaming the mushrooms.
- Once the pan starts to steam and there is almost no moisture left in the pan, add your seasonings (chili flakes, garlic, lemon juice, S+P, whatever else you'd like to add here) and EVOO to the pan.
- Sauté for another 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are cooked all the way through. Add a cube or 2 of butter at the end and toss your mushrooms until they are coated nicely and butter sticks to them. Set aside until polenta is done cooking.
- Once your polenta is done cooking, add the salt to pot and stir to make sure it dissolves and is incorporated evenly. Scoop a nice big heaping mound of polenta into a bowl, top with the sauteed shrooms (reheat if need be) and top with your chives or any other garnishment you'd like. Serve immediately.
