Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Italian Baked Polenta with Mushrooms and Spinach
意式蘑菇菠菜焗玉米糕
Recipe overview
Italian Baked Polenta with Mushrooms and Spinach is a practical home-cooked dish for a Hong Kong family kitchen. Twelve clear stages control preparation, heat and doneness to deliver set creamy polenta baked under mushrooms and wilted spinach.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 250 g polenta cornmeal
- 900 ml vegetable stock
- 300 g mushroom
- 200 g Spinach
- 100 g Parmesan
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 20 g butter
02
Tools
- oven
- baking dish
- oven mitts
- saucepan
- whisk
- frying pan
- wooden spoon
- measuring cup
- knife
- cutting board
- serving plate
- timer
03
Steps
Step 1
Grease the baking dish
Use 5 g of the butter to coat the base and sides of a medium baking dish, then heat the oven to 200°C.
Step 2
Prepare the mushrooms and spinach
Slice all 300 g mushrooms about 5 mm thick; wash all 200 g spinach and spin or pat it completely dry.
Step 3
Bring the stock to a simmer
Pour all 900 ml vegetable stock into a heavy saucepan and heat over medium-high until small bubbles rise steadily.
Step 4
Whisk in the polenta gradually
Lower to medium heat and pour all 250 g polenta into the simmering stock in a thin stream while whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
Step 5
Cook the polenta until smooth
Reduce to low heat and cook for 8 minutes, whisking every minute, until very thick, smooth, and no gritty grains remain.
Step 6
Enrich the polenta with butter and cheese
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 15 g butter and 50 g Parmesan until fully melted and evenly blended.
Step 7
Spread the polenta in the dish
Scrape all the hot polenta into the greased dish and smooth it into an even layer about 3 cm deep.
Step 8
Brown the mushrooms
Heat all 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat, add the 300 g mushrooms, and cook for 6 minutes, stirring twice, until browned and dry.
Step 9
Wilt and dry the spinach
Add all 200 g dry spinach to the mushrooms and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until just wilted; keep cooking only until released water has evaporated.
Step 10
Layer the vegetables over the polenta
Spread the cooked mushrooms and spinach evenly over the polenta, reaching the corners without pressing the topping into the base.
Step 11
Bake with the remaining Parmesan
Scatter the remaining 50 g Parmesan evenly over the top and bake at 200°C for 15 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden in patches.
Step 12
Rest before cutting
Remove the hot dish from the oven and rest for 5 minutes so the polenta firms, then cut into 4 portions and serve warm.
Common mistakes
- Pouring in all the polenta at once creates stubborn lumps.
- Crowding mushrooms in a small pan steams them instead of browning them.
- Layering wet spinach over the polenta makes the bake watery.
Tips
Pour the polenta in a slow stream while whisking continuously for a smooth base.
Cook moisture from the mushrooms and spinach before layering so the bake cuts into four neat portions.
