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Mushroom ragù and polenta
Serves 2 Starters and mains
For the ragù
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 400g mixed mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 200g tomatoes, chopped
- 175ml white wine
- 200ml vegetable stock, preferably dark and with mushrooms
- leaves from small bunch parsley, chopped
For the polenta
- 400ml unsweetened plant-based milk, plus extra if needed
- 100g quick-cook polenta
- 2tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2tbsp olive oil
Method
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan
and cook the onion and celery
over a medium-low heat for 10
minutes, until starting to soften.
Increase the heat and add the
mushrooms with a good pinch of
salt. Fry for 5 minutes until starting
to colour, then add the garlic, bay,
thyme, tomatoes and wine and
let the mixture bubble away until
reduced by half. Tip in the stock,
reduce the heat to a simmer and
cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the milk into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring it to a simmer. (You may need more or less liquid, depending on the brand you are using, so check the packet instructions.) Pour in the polenta in a steady stream, stirring as you do. Return to a simmer, stirring well for around 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and olive oil. You might want to loosen with a dash more milk; the consistency should be somewhere between soft mash and thick porridge. Season with salt and pepper.
Taste the ragù and tweak the seasoning. Fish out the bay and thyme stalks, if you can. Spoon generous dollops of polenta into warm shallow bowls, top with the ragù and sprinkle with parsley.
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