Noon Polenta of Pilgrims • Grain of Design

About this recipe

Warm polenta, delicate parmesan, butter, creamy mushrooms… The taste spreads and for a moment Monday is gone. Just home. Just us.

Ingredients

Creamy mushrooms (Italian style)

350g Fresh mushrooms (can be a mix of white and brown)
1 tbsp Butter + a drop of olive oil
1 pc Shallot
2-3 tbsp Heavy cream (30%) or ricotta for smoothness
pinch Thyme or parsley
to taste Salt, freshly ground pepper
optional A few drops of white wine

Smooth polenta

100g Corn grits (preferably instant)
400ml Liquid (water + milk 1:1)
2 tbsp Butter
30g Parmesan cheese
to taste Salt, pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

Preparing the mushrooms

Just wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth (don't soak) and cut into thick slices. In a pan, melt butter with a drop of oil, add finely chopped shallot and sauté until translucent.

Sautéing mushrooms

Add mushrooms, increase heat and let them sauté for 2–3 minutes without stirring. Turn, season with salt and pepper, add thyme. Add a spoonful of water or wine and let it evaporate.

Finishing mushrooms

Finally, add cream or ricotta for smoothness. Just stir briefly and remove from heat. They should remain juicy, not mushy.

Preparing polenta

Bring the water and milk mixture to a boil, season with salt. While constantly stirring, slowly add polenta (to prevent lumps). Cook according to instructions (instant 3–5 min, sometimes a bit longer).

When it cooks, it thickens almost magically. Keep stirring — it's a drama queen, likes to stick to the bottom when you ignore it.

Serving

Remove from heat, stir in butter and parmesan. Season with nutmeg. Serve by spreading polenta in a bowl and topping with mushrooms along with their pan juices.

Polenta so smooth it melts even the north wind. Mushrooms that hold the shape and taste of the forest. And laughter – because even on the grayest day you can find light when you stir it with love.

Chef's tips

🍄 Mushrooms

Just wipe mushrooms, don't soak them in water. They would lose flavor and texture.

🌽 Polenta

While constantly stirring, add polenta gradually to prevent lumps from forming.

🧈 Creaminess

Add butter and parmesan only at the end for perfect creaminess.

✨ Finish

You can add a few drops of olive oil and fresh herbs on top.

Legend of the Noon Polenta of Pilgrims

It's said that in January, pilgrims – designers wandered through snow, hungry and frozen. They were looking for just a bit of corn to survive the night.

When they reached the northern lights, they found an igloo with pink light. There waited an Eskimo woman with one question: "Do you have a moodboard?"

They had nothing – just the laughter they had left. So they lit a fire, cooked polenta and added mushrooms they carried from the forest.

When the first spoonful of polenta lit up their smiles, Aurora bent lower – and remained above them like a new star.

Since then, whoever cooks polenta with laughter finds their way home even in the greatest winter.