Ingredients
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
500g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
8 large king prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, halved
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Polenta
100g white polenta
1/4 cup freshly grated fontina
3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
50g unsalted butter
Method
For the polenta
Fill a large saucepan with 600ml water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil over high heat. Pour in the polenta and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 2 minutes.
REDUCE THE HEAT to low and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 50 minutes or until smooth. Stir in the fontina, parmesan and butter. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
TO SAUTÉ THE MUSHROOMS, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat, and cook the mushrooms until tender.
Add the chopped prawns and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until the prawn meat is just cooked through.
Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the warm polenta onto serving plates and top with the mushrooms and prawns.
HOT TIPS
Use whatever mushroom takes your fancy, or try fennel or artichoke. This dish is also perfect using scallops or diced blue-eye trevalla.
Make extra polenta and pour it out on an oiled bench: when cool, cut it and then pan-fry or grill it - great with a braised or roasted chook or pork.
Something to drink
Complement the mushrooms' myriad intense flavours with a complex, flavoursome wine: the 2000 Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne (about $37), from Victoria's Nagambie Lakes, has plenty of richness and texture.
