Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Two of my favorite foods are cornmeal and mushrooms, so when I came across a recipe combining the two, I of course couldn't resist making it. The mushroom ragout, which is essentially a thick sauce or gravy, would also go nicely with rice or any other grain of your choosing, including pasta.

Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 pounds of mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper
1/2 cup of white wine or 1/4 cup of vermouth combined with 1/4 cup of water
1 - 2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley

For the Polenta:

3 cups of milk
1 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of cornmeal
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper until all of the liquid is evaporated - about 8 - 10 minutes.

Next, add the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Add the flour, stirring to coat the mushrooms and then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley before serving.

To make the polenta, bring the milk, water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the cornmeal and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened - about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.

Spoon the ragout over the polenta and serve.