The French Chef: Trumpet mushroom ragoût with creamy polenta

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Mushroom ragout served over creamy polenta

Mushrooms are such a versatile and tasty vegetable. How lucky are we to live near Kennett Square: The mushroom capital of the world.

As a child, I spent a few years with my family near Bordeaux, “les Landes”. It gave me the chance to go mushroom forging with my dad during the Autumn season. The landscape and abundance of many forests plus the rich moist soil of the region were perfect for brown-capped mushroom with a thick, white stalk also known as porcini or cèpe to grow wildly in abundance near conifers. It was a very special time in my childhood. I wanted to recreate a family recipe: Mushroom Ragoût with Creamy Polenta

This week’ s recipe calls for some royal trumpet mushrooms. It reminds me so much of porcini mushrooms. It has a dense texture, nutty flavor and is great for a delicious ragout (French for stew) with some creamy polenta. A Franco-Italian dish with a French flair!

Instructions for servings about 8

Ingredients for the ragout:

4 pounds mixed fresh trumpets mushrooms

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons butter

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 stem fresh rosemary

1/4 cup Madeira

2 cups beef stock

1/4 cup tomato puree

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Ingredients for the polenta:

2 cups quick cooking polenta

5-7 cups chicken stock brought just to a boil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/2 cup minced onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

To prepare the mushroom ragout

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Trim and wipe clean the mushrooms, do not wash with water.

Add canola oil, season with sea salt and place on a half-inch deep jelly roll pan fitted with a rack. I use a cake cooling grate. Bake at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Reserve mushrooms and any accumulated juices separately.

Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add the butter. When foaming add the mushrooms and sauté until browned.

Add the herbs, shallots and garlic and sauté until cooked through.

Next, add the Madeira and bring to a boil, this will happen almost immediately.

Add the tomato puree, mushroom juices and stock. Reduce liquids at a simmer by 75 percent.

Season with salt and pepper, add the lemon zest and remove the rosemary stem.

Serve over portions of the polenta.

To prepare the polenta

Sauté the onions in the oil in a 4 quart pot over medium heat.

When the onions are glassy add 4 cups of the stock and then the polenta.

Stirring frequently, cook for 8 to 10 minutes adding stock as needed until polenta has lost its sandy texture.

Lower heat and stir in cheese.

Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste.

About Chef Sylvie

Chef Sylvie from Cuisine de Sylvie has been a personal chef since 2015 in Chester County, PA serving the West Chester area, Unionville, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square , Centerville, Greenville and Northern Delaware. She specializes in at home private dinner parties and believes in using only fresh and locally sourced ingredients when possible according to the seasons … Just like in France.. Marché du Jour Chef Sylvie was born and raised in Normandy, France. She always wanted to share the love and passion for French cooking and comfort food the French traditional way by only using seasonal fresh produce and meats from the local markets. She believes in healthy eating, simple foods, from scratch, only the fresh seasonal products. After a career in corporate America in purchasing and digital marketing, she decided to follow her passion by becoming a personal chef. Her intensive internship in France at “L’auberge de la Luzerne” as a sous-chef allows her to provide traditional and classic cooking to all her clients and also caters to special diets. She caters events, private dinners, birthday parties, Girls ‘night out, Crepes bar party, wine and book clubs. She also provides cooking classes in small groups or one on one setting. Sylvie has joined forces several nights a week at Verbena BYOB along side executive and chef owner Scott Morozin, sharing her French culinary expertise and fine dining experience.

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