Creamy polenta with charred mushrooms

The earthiness of the mushrooms and bitter notes of the radicchio make this recipe the perfect thing to eat with naturally sweet polenta.

Serves 4
2 heads of radicchio 
6 large portobello mushrooms or other wild mushrooms 
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves
Small bunch of marjoram or oregano, leaves picked 
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt

For the polenta

• 150g (about a mugful) of polenta or cornmeal
• 25g good butter
• 50g freshly grated parmesan (I use a vegetarian one)
• A big handful of watercress
• Salt and black pepper

1 Fill the kettle with water and bring it to the boil. Cut the radicchio into quarters, then put the pieces into a large, shallow dish. Add the mushrooms. If you’re using large mushrooms, cut them in half before adding these to the dish.

2 In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, garlic, marjoram or oregano, olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Mix well, then pour over the radicchio and mushrooms.

3 Get on with your polenta. Pour 1 litre of boiled water from the kettle into a large pan over a medium heat. Slowly add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking as you go. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the polenta thickens a little, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes until cooked, stirring frequently (at least every 5 minutes) to make sure that it doesn’t stick or go lumpy. The polenta is cooked when it has lost its grainy texture and feels smooth.

4 Add the butter and parmesan to the cooked polenta, then season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

5 Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Remove the mushrooms and radicchio from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off back into the shallow dish. Reserve the marinade. Griddle the mushrooms and radicchio until they have become charred and soft throughout – about 3-4 minutes on each side. Once cooked, chop them very roughly and put them back into the marinade.

6 When everything is ready, ladle the polenta into bowls and top with the radicchio and mushrooms, another grating of parmesan and a small pile of watercress.