Polenta with porcini and sausage ragout

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for 4 people

300g Polenta cornmeal 

4 Cups of cold water

2 Cups of milk

50g of butter

1 Pinch of salt

1 Carrot cut small, diced

1/2 Onion cut small, diced

2 Cloves of garlic

3 Italian style sausages 

1/2 Glass of dry white wine

1/2 Cup of dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 1 cup of hot water

1 Cup of chopped tin tomato

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

METHOD

To Make Polenta: 

1. In a medium sized pot pour the water, milk, butter and salt and bring to simmer. 

2. Add the polenta slowly, whisking to avoid the formations of lumps. 

3. Bring back to simmer and check the consistency after 1 minute. It should be at a runny/soft porridge like consistency. If to runny, add a spoon of polenta, if too hard add some more water.

4. Let it simmer for 5 minutes if using the instant polenta. If using a traditional polenta, simmer for 40 minutes. 

To make the ragout:

1. In a medium pot fry the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for 10 minutes at low heat.

2. Take the sausages meat out of their casting. Increase the heat and add sausages meat and fry until the meat start to brown.

3. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the mushrooms roughly chopped and their water. Simmer for 5 – 8 minutes then add the tomato and cook the sauce for 15 more minutes at low heat. Season
   with salt and white pepper.

4. Pour 1 generous ladle of polenta on a flat plate and spread the polenta almost to the edge. Top the polenta with the sausage and porcini ragout.

5. Sprinkle with Parmigiano reggiano on top and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.

Buon Appetito!