MUSHROOMS AND CHESTNUTS WITH POLENTA

  • This meal will serve about 6.
  • 150 g maize meal
  • 900 mls. Stock (use 2 vegetable stock cubes)
  • 250g grated hard cheese (strong cheddar or hard goats cheese is good)
  • 4 tspns dried parsley or 4 tblspns Fresh Flat Parsley chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Rape seed oil
  • 2 Red Onions peeled and cut into wedges.
  • 2 sticks celery diced
  • 500gms Red Peppers chopped into 2 centremetre squares and roasted in the Rape seed oil.
  • 200 grams chestnuts { pre cooked or if dried ( which in terms of taste are better) cooked in plenty of water until soft- 45minutes – 1 hour}
  • Wholegrain mustard
  • 1tsp dried thyme or 1 tblsp. Fresh thyme.
  • 150 ml organic cream whipping or double.

 

 

 

 

To make Polenta

Bring 750 mls of stock to the boil and pour in the maize meal in a steady stream stirring vigorously while you do so. Turn the heat down to a simmer and stir the polenta from time to time. If you are using maize meal then it will take 30 – 40 minutes to cook; you will know when it is cooked as it will separate from the side of the pan as you stir it like porridge. If you want a quick way of doing this then use quick cook polenta this will cook in a minute or two but follow the instructions on the packet in terms of quantities of stock to maize.
When the polenta is cooked add half the cheese and half the parsley stirring well.

To make the inside

Fry the button mushrooms in a few tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated .Meanwhile cook the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil until softened, then add the celery and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms, roasted peppers, mustard, thyme, parsley and cream and the chestnuts with 175 mls of mixed stock and chestnut water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle100 gms cheese into the mix and stir and pour into a suitably sized oven proof dish.
Cut the polenta into about 20 pieces and arrange over the dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and put into oven for about 40 minutes at 190C/ 375F/gas 5.