Polenta With Mushrooms, Favas and Tomatoes
- 1 recipe Oven-Baked Polenta
- 1 pound fava beans, shelled
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), preferably fresh green garlic, sliced thin
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, either regular or wild (or a combination), cleaned, trimmed and cut or torn in thick slices
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup dry white or red wine
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
- Slivered fresh basil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Make the polenta as directed, and while it is baking, cook the mushrooms and tomatoes.
- Prepare the fava beans.
- Shell them while you bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
- Drop the beans into the water, and boil small favas for one minute, large favas for two, then transfer at once to a bowl of ice-cold water.
- Drain.
- Remove the skins, using your thumbnail to open up the skin at the spot where the bean is attached to the pod, then gently squeezing out the bean.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the mushrooms, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are moist and beginning to soften, about five minutes.
- Add the wine, turn up the heat and cook, stirring, until the liquid in the pan has reduced and glazed the mushrooms.
- Stir in the tomatoes, add salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer.
- Cook uncovered, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down (there should still be some liquid in the pan) and the mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes.
- Add the skinned fava beans and continue to simmer for five to 10 minutes.
- Taste, adjust seasonings, and remove from the heat.
- When the polenta is ready, remove from the heat, spoon onto plates and make a depression in the middle.
- Top with the mushrooms, favas and tomatoes, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan.
- Serve at once.
polenta, beans, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, mushrooms, thyme, dry white, tomatoes, basil, freshly grated parmesan
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012574 (may not work)