Matzo Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup milk of choice (unsweetened and unflavored)
  • ¾ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme (or a combo)
  • ¾ cup matzo meal, plus extra for coating the cakes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup unrefined extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • Mushroom Ragout: (I halved the recipe for this image.)
  • 8 cups mushrooms, any variety, but a mix is nice (about 1¼ pounds)
  • 2 to 4 Tablespoons unrefined extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
Instructions
  1. Lightly oil an 8-inch cake pan or straight-sided tart pan.
  2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the stock, milk, and herbs to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
  3. Slowly pour in the matzo meal into the pan while whisking constantly until mixture becomes smooth and creamy. The mixture will thicken up quickly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. Beat the egg and yolk in a small bowl. Whisk the egg into the matzo mixture. Raise the heat slightly and bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk constantly for 1 minute, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
  5. Pour the cooked matzo polenta into the prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly with a spatula. Cover, refrigerate, and chill thoroughly, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
  6. Prepare the mushroom ragout: Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel and slice ¼ inch thick.
  7. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add to the warmed oil enough mushrooms to cover the bottom of the skillet in one layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mushrooms to sit undisturbed for a few minutes until the undersides develop some golden color. Saute until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. If you cook only some of the mushrooms. transfer them to a bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons of oil and repeat with remaining mushrooms. Transfer them to the bowl.
  8. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
  9. Return the reserved mushrooms to the skillet and add the white wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has been absorbed.
  10. Whisk the arrowroot with the stock in a medium-size bowl or measuring cup and pour into the skillet. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  11. Remove the polenta from the refrigerator. Transfer polenta to a cutting board and cut into wedges. In a large skillet, heat ⅓ cup of olive oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, dredge the matzo wedges in the extra matzo meal and saute both sides until golden brown. Repeat with remaining wedges if not all of them fit in the skillet.
  12. Serve matzo wedges with mushroom ragout on top.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/matzo-polenta-with-mushroom-ragout-recipe/