Italian Food Recipes: EZ Mushroom Ragu Recipe

This is Italian Food Recipes: EZ Mushroom Ragu Recipe. The recipe can be found below! Enjoy!

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Ingredients

Mushroom Ragu Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 Lbs fresh mushrooms any kind will do.
1/2 Lbs. of dried Shitake mushrooms soaked and then sliced thinly.
4 Clove of garlic minced.
2 Tsp. dried thyme.
1 Tsp. dried rosemary.
1 Tsp. dried sage.
1 Bay leaf.
1/4 Cup of extra virgin olive oil.
4 Tbsp. butter or ghee.
1 Cup diced brown onion.
1 Cup diced shallots.
4 to 6 Ounces of either bacon or sweet Italian sausage out of the casing.
1 Cup dry white wine.
1/2 Cup tomato paste.
4 Cups of chicken broth heated.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Ingredients For The Polenta:
2 Cups chicken stock.
2 Cups half and half.
1 Cup cornmeal.
4 Tbsp. butter or ghee.
1/2 Tsp. dried rosemary.
1/2 Tsp. thyme.
1/2 Tsp. dried marjoram.
1/2 to 1 Cup of Italian cheese of your choice.
Salt and black pepper to taste.

Instructions

Method For The Ragu:
Soak your dried mushrooms until they are hydrated again.
Take them out of the bowl and squeeze them.
Save the mushroom water to be used in this dish later.
Clean your other mushrooms and slice them about 1/4 inch or less.
Take your rosemary, thyme, sage and bay leaf and put into a piece of cheesecloth
Tie up the cheese cloth and spices to make your sachet.
Cooking The Sauce:
Put your olive oil and butter or ghee into a large skillet on medium heat.
When the butter melts add in your bacon or sausage and fry until cooked and crispy.
Remove the bacon or sausage and set aside.
You can add the meat back into the dish at the end before serving if you wish.
Now add your onions and shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Mix it all together well.
You want the onions and shallots translucent not browned and caramelized.
This should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Now add your mushrooms into the pan both the fresh and soaked dried mushrooms.
Spread them evenly across the pan.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to build your flavor layer.
Add your sachet of spices to the mixture now. Stir well.
Raise the heat a bit and cover the skillet.
Cook for 2 or 3 minutes and shake the pan a bit.
We want to sweat the mushrooms down.
Once the mushrooms have sweated down take the cover off of the skillet.
Keep cooking on medium high heat stirring often.
Cook until the mushrooms shrink and for the liquid in the skillet to evaporate.
The liquid is gone the mushrooms begin browning.
Make a “hot spot” in the center of the skillet.
Add your tomato paste to the hot spot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Once the tomato paste is cooked mix it together with the mushrooms.
When the contents in the skillet start sizzling and browning add your white wine.
Stir the contents of the skillet well get the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet.
Keep stirring and allow the wine to evaporate.
The sauce should be thickening now.
When the mushrooms begin to stick to the skillet add your mushroom water.
Stir constantly.
Now add 2 cups of chicken stock. Stir the mixture well.
Bring the contents to a boil and scrape the skillet for any more brown bits at the bottom.
Reduce the skillet to medium low you just want a gentle simmer to be happening.
Cook for 20 minutes or so stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet.
Allow the liquid in the skillet to reduce and then add more chicken stock just enough to cover.
When the mushrooms are finally tender and the sauce thickened.
Remove the sachet.
Adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
Put lid back on skillet and keep the sauce warm.
Time to make your polenta.
Method For The Polenta:
Pour chicken stock and half and half into a large sauce pan.
Slowly pour your cornmeal into the liquid and stir constantly.
When liquid begins to boil keep stirring and reduce to a simmer.
Add your butter or ghee now and keep stirring.
One at a time add your spices and stir each one in separately.
Add some salt and black pepper mix it in well.
Cook for another 10 minutes stirring constantly.
Just before serving add your cheese of choice and stir in well.
Plate or bowl your polenta and add your mushroom ragu to the top.
Enjoy!