Spicy Roasted Mushrooms With Polenta
Updated November 14, 2023
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper flakes or 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes
5 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, plus 1 scallion for garnish, thinly sliced at an angle
Salt
1 pound mushrooms (any combination of oyster, portobello, trumpet or baby bella mushrooms), cut into ¼-inch strips or slices
1 ¼ cups/170 grams quick-cooking polenta
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
45 grams carbs; 466 calories; 20 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 701 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 475 degrees.
- Step 2
In a small pan, heat ¼ cup of the oil and the cinnamon stick over medium-high for 5 minutes, until the oil is hot and the cinnamon stick is lightly bubbling. Add the ginger, Aleppo pepper flakes, garlic, soy sauce, cumin and Sichuan peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and leave to marinate.
- Step 3
Mix the tomatoes and 1-inch scallion pieces with 1 tablespoon of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt and roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes, until lightly charred. Set aside.
- Step 4
While the tomatoes roast, toss the mushrooms with ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining ¼ cup oil and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set in the oven along with the tomatoes to roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- Step 5
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 ¼ cups water to a boil over high heat. Add the polenta and 1 teaspoon of salt and whisk until the mixture comes back to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 minutes, whisking regularly, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a few minutes.
- Step 6
Remove the cinnamon stick from the chile oil and gently reheat the oil for 1 minute over medium heat, until loosened.
- Step 7
To serve, pour the polenta onto a lipped platter, then scatter the mushrooms and the tomato mixture over. Top with the hot oil, thinly sliced scallions and the cilantro.
Private Notes
Comments
Start the tomatoes roasting, then add the mushrooms 5 minutes later so that both are done at the same time. Apparently tomatoes take a little longer to roast than mushrooms.
I made this tonight. I always follow the recipe the first time to experience what the chef intended. Excellent! I would not change a thing. Fast, easy, and super tasty. Thank you Yotam Ottolenghi
Made this tonight and it was delicious! A keeper, although I added a generous handful of Parmesan to the polenta.
Did it again. Delicious
I love this! I avoid heating up the oven during Tucson’s summer, so I use an air fryer to roast the veggies. I pit them in all at once. If the tomatoes are large, cut them I half. And, my Italian grandmother who occasionally haunts my kitchen suggests adding butter and Parmesan or Romano to the polenta. I use Bob’s Red Mill instant polenta.
Pretty tasty, good way to use up some basic ingredients that sometimes you just have on hand. Would recommend adding peanuts or some other crunch. had some left over ssam sauce which broke up the oil and gave it an acidic punch. good change of flavours and we both finished our bowls!