Make Ahead

Creamy Polenta with Sautéed Apples, Mushrooms, & Calvados

by:
October  2, 2013
4.5
4 Ratings
Creamy Polenta with Sautéed Apples, Mushrooms, & Calvados
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Once upon a time, in my small country in the Balkans, the arrival of apples marked the arrival of cold, rains, and winds. The apples would tell us that the winter was right around the corner, that for many months to come we would be eating beans and mushrooms, polenta and sauerkraut, roots and nuts. The apples would say that the food would be brown, that reds and yellows would come in spots—a contribution to the meal from preserves prepared lovingly throughout the summer, though a tiny contribution, as no household had a pantry large enough to accommodate a jar of color for every cold day. And as magnificent as this era of abundance is, I miss dearly the time of apples. Every year, come the apple season, I make this dish in the loving memory of the times gone by... —QueenSashy

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: QueenSashy is a contest veteran (not to mention a scientist by day, blogger by night).
WHAT: Super-comforting polenta gets a dose of autumn via a sauce of mushrooms, apples, and apple brandy.
HOW: Stir together a savory herbed sauce of shiitakes, Gala apples, and Calvados while a pot of polenta bubbles away. Spoon into bowls, sigh deeply, and eat.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This dish is elegant enough for company and brimming with autumnal coziness. The sage and apple cream sauce paired with the rib-sticking polenta is a rich and impressive expression of the season. A bit of extra Calvados will ensure even more of that complex brandy flavor—and be sure to season it all well. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the polenta
  • 1 1/2 cups coarse polenta
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
  • Pinch salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • For the sauce
  • 2 small Gala apples (about 6 ounce each), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 small shallots (about 4 ounces total), finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 3 to 4 sage leaves, chopped
  • Pinch fresh marjoram
  • 1/4 cup Calvados
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons flour
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Prepare the polenta. In a medium pot or saucepan, bring the broth, water and salt to a boil. Whisk in the polenta. When the water starts boiling again, reduce the heat to low and keep on stirring for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the polenta bubbles assume a rhythm of their own. At this point, you can let the polenta bubble without heavy supervision, for about 45 minutes. Pay a visit to the pot to stir from time to time (a bit more often towards the end of cooking). Remove the polenta from the stove, add the butter and mix well.
  2. Make the sauce. Cut the mushroom caps into 1/4-inch cubes. If you are using stems (I do, except for very hard parts), make sure that you cut them into really small pieces, as they are tougher than the caps.
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat about a tablespoon of sunflower oil over medium heat. Add in the shiitakes and cook for about 3 minutes, until browned and soft. Remove the shiitakes from the pan, and keep them in a medium-sized bowl.
  4. In the same pan, heat a tablespoon of butter, add the apples, and cook over moderately high heat until browned, for about 3 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the apples. Add the apples to the mushrooms.
  5. Deglaze the pan with Calvados and pour the sauce over the apples and mushrooms.
  6. In a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of sunflower oil, add the shallots, and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add the apple and mushroom mixture, sage, and marjoram. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of flour, mix well, and pour in the broth. Simmer for a couple of minutes over medium heat, until the sauce thickens (if needed you can always add another pinch of flour, or if the sauce is too thick a bit more broth). Add in the heavy cream, and simmer for another minute or two. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Pour the polenta onto individual plates. Spoon the sauce on top and garnish with herbs. Serve warm.
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QueenSashy
Aleksandra aka QueenSashy is a scientist by day, and cook, photographer and doodler by night. When she is not writing code and formulas, she blogs about food, life and everything in between on her blog, Three Little Halves. Three Little Halves was nominated for 2015 James Beard Awards and the finalist for 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. Aleksandra lives in New York City with her other two halves, Miss Pain and Dr. V.

Popular on Food52

21 Reviews

Anne Y.
Anne Y. October 6, 2022
Lynchpin--really!! Please proofread. And that Maker's Mark video ad is MADDENING. I don't recall so much intrusion from ad. It even shows up in the print window. Deleting it once should be enough. Having to do it on very page is enough to make me want to totally unsubscribe.
 
Sara S.
Sara S. December 20, 2020
This was so delicious.
 
Caroline
Caroline October 30, 2020
I made this exactly as instructed, with good quality ingredients. I thought it was a lot of work and a lot of pans for a very bland result. Will not make again.
 
ktr
ktr February 23, 2016
This is a wonderful recipe! I used apple brandy (no Calvados in my area without a special order). I'm not a big fan of polenta but I really enjoy it with this sauce. I could see it with rice or another grain on a night when I don't have time to cook polenta and didn't think ahead to soak the polenta beforehand.
 
Bernette L.
Bernette L. December 6, 2015
Is there something I can substitute for the Calvados? As wonderful as I'm sure the flavor is, I don't live in an area that has it, and I would need to drive at least an hour to find a liquor store that carries it. Thank you in advance.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy December 6, 2015
Brandy, dry sherry or cognac will work well too...
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian November 5, 2015
I am totally making this!!!!! I have all the ingredients on hand :-) Congrats on winning!!
 
Lindsay N.
Lindsay N. October 26, 2015
I live in a dry country-- is there anything you could recommend to replace the Calvados? Thanks!
 
Bernette L.
Bernette L. December 6, 2015
I wonder the same thing, and just posed the question. Hope we get an answer someday. Or we can just Google a substitute!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy December 6, 2015
Lindsay, if you do not have alcohol, just deglaze with broth...
 
Oat&Sesame
Oat&Sesame October 25, 2015
Congrats! I've had polenta on my mind for awhile. Can't wait to try it!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 25, 2015
Thank you Oat&Sesame, I hope you'll like it.
 
anka
anka October 23, 2015
Congratulations!
Hmmm who doesn't love polenta.
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 23, 2015
Cannot agree more :) Thank you!
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis October 23, 2015
Congratulations!! This looks fabulous!!!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 23, 2015
Thank you Emily!
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis October 29, 2015
Congratulations!!!! You had my vote!
 
drbabs
drbabs October 23, 2015
Congratulations, Aleksandra! Delicious sounding recipe!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 23, 2015
Thank you Barbara!
 
Madhuja
Madhuja October 23, 2015
Congratulations, QueenSashy! This looks like such a comforting dish! And your story is so vivid - loved it!
 
QueenSashy
QueenSashy October 23, 2015
Madhuja, thank you!