I picked up a bunch of yellow oyster mushrooms from the Prospect Park Farmer’s Market, and was looking for something new to do with them. I came across Marco Canora‘s recipe for pan roasted hen of the woods mushrooms, and adapted it.

Trim a the stem of the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Lay them gently in a pan of olive oil over medium heat. Add a few sprigs of thyme to the oil. Cook the mushrooms slowly until golden brown on one side, then flip over. Continue to brown on all sides. When the mushrooms are cooked through, turn up the heat for a moment to get a crisp exterior, then remove the mushrooms to a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

Polenta is pretty easy to make. Bring some water just to a boil, add a little salt, then stir in the corn meal. Stir pretty vigorously so clumps don’t form, and then, when the texture is good, turn the heat way down and let it cook. When the polenta is just about ready, add some salt and pepper, some parmesan, some goat cheese, and some chopped parsley.

Pour some polenta on the plate and top with the mushrooms. Garnish with more parsley.

Note: When I make polenta I make a lot more of it than I need. I pour a bunch of it into a shallow pan and let it cool overnight in the refrigerator (covered). The next day you can cut the polenta into cakes and fry them up in a little olive oil.

Posted by Howard