Soft polenta with browned mushrooms

Ingredients

• Plain polenta cornmeal (dry)140g
• Mushrooms (raw)300g
• Spinach (raw)150g
• Garlic (raw)8g
• Recipe water (raw)700ml
• Olive oil (raw)15ml
• Salt (dry)3g
• Black pepper (dry)1g

Method

1. Wipe 300g mushrooms and slice 5mm thick. Heat 15ml olive oil in a broad skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms in one layer for 3 minutes undisturbed, then stir for 5–7 minutes until their liquid has evaporated and edges brown. Brown in batches if needed.
2. Mince 8g garlic. Add to the mushrooms with 1g black pepper and stir for 30 seconds. Wash 150g spinach, cut into 3cm strips and fold in for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove from the heat; if watery, reduce briefly uncovered.
3. With two burners, start the polenta while the mushrooms brown, returning to stir it frequently. On one burner finish the topping first and allow extra time. Bring 700ml recipe water and 3g salt to a simmer in a heavy pot. Sprinkle in 140g plain polenta cornmeal while whisking. Reduce to low and cook for 20–30 minutes, or the packet time, stirring the bottom frequently until grains lose their sandy bite. If lumpy, whisk firmly; if stiff before cooked, add hot processing water in small amounts.
4. The polenta should fall slowly from a spoon. Divide into shallow bowls immediately and add the hot mushroom topping; it thickens as it cools.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 or 2 servings, use a smaller pan and check early; keep the stated cut sizes. For 4 servings use a broad pan or uncrowded trays; for 8 split every ingredient evenly into two 4-serving batches (more if the pan or pot capacity requires it). Keep pans below 80% full and vegetables in one layer when browning. Repeat the cooking and doneness checks for each batch; elapsed time increases for sequential batches. Serve promptly. Cool any extra cooked food in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Keep the fridge at 4°C or below. Reheat cooked leftovers evenly to 74°C, checking several places with a food thermometer. Keep raw garnishes and cold yogurt or tahini sauces separate and use them cold within their label limits.