Ingredients

• 8 tbsp olive oil
• 700g mixed mushrooms, very large ones halved
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 2 tbsp truffle oil
• 1l vegetable stock
• 160g instant polenta
• 160g Parmesan, grated
• 60g butter
• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tbsp chopped chervil
• 200g Taleggio (rind removed), cut into 1cm slides
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat up half the olive oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add half of the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes, or until just cooked: try not to move them so much so you get golden-brown patches on their surface.
2. Remove from the pan, and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms and oil. Off the heat, return all the mushrooms to the pan and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil and some salt and pepper. Keep warm.
3. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta, then reduce the heat to the minimum and cook stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The polenta is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan but is still runny. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.
4. Preheat the grill to high. When the polenta is ready, stir in the Parmesan, butter, rosemary and half the chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the polenta over a heatproof dish and top with the Taleggio.
5. Place under the grill until the cheese bubbles.
6. Remove, top with mushrooms and their juices, and return to the grill for a minute to warm up.
7. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chervil.

Wine Pairing

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/mushroom-and-herb-polenta