
If you told me I could make a tasty mushroom stroganoff without the meat, I wouldn’t have believed you. But then I gave it a go myself and honestly, I didn’t even miss the beef. If you’re veggie or vegan, there are some simple swaps you can make using things like Vegemite, alternative butters and ‘creams’. The stroganoff itself is a surprisingly light dish, so for a healthier alternative you could serve it with couscous or rice…but polenta really does make a deliciously indulgent treat – perfect with a glass of red wine too.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
125g shiitake mushrooms
250g chestnut mushrooms
100g dried porcini mushrooms
200g portobello mushrooms (I like Sainsbury’s mini ones)
1 x chopped onion
3 x finely diced garlic cloves
100ml red wine
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
Fresh parsley
2 tbsp creme fresh
Salt & pepper
100g polenta
50g butter
50g grated parmesan + some for serving
1 tbsp truffle oil (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
Optional sides:
Spring garlic greens & roasted rainbow carrots
Method:
- Begin by soaking your porcini mushrooms in 250ml of boiling water and then prepare all your ingredients: finely chop the onion and garlic, and slice the mushrooms
- Now add your onion to the pan with oil and sweat for a couple of minutes, before adding the garlic
- After a minute or so, add your chopped mushrooms (not the porcini mushrooms) and turn up the heat (this helps to evaporate any water they release, quickly)
- Add your red wine and let this cook down for 1 minute, before adding the porcini mushrooms, along with their water, which should be a dark colour, deep with umami flavour
- Add your English mustard, a good slug of Worcester sauce and season to taste
- Leave this to reduce (lid off) for roughly 10-15 minutes – add more water if required
- While this reduces, measure out your polenta – it’s best to use a cup for this, as it works to a 1:4 ratio: one part polenta, the other four water
- Add 1 cup of polenta to a pot containing 4 cups of boiling water and stir (it will soak up the mixture very quickly)
- Continue to simmer for up to 10 minutes and finish by adding in the grated parmesan, butter and truffle oil, then leave on a very low heat while you finish the stroganoff
- The mushrooms should be reduced and there should be just enough liquid left for a nice sauce
- Add your 2 tbsp of creme fresh to the mixture, as well as a handful of chopped parsley and combine (if it’s not thick enough, you can melt some butter in a pan with a little flour and add this to the mix, or add in some corn flour)
- Serve your stroganoff with the polenta, a little extra fresh parsley and grated parmesan – enjoy!
- If you want to serve it with sides, I recommend roasting some carrots or wilting some spring greens in a pan, with minced garlic and butter