Fried Polenta with Mushroom Sauce and Cheese

This recipe is inspired from dish served by a Polish man named Joseph at a wonderful Polish restaurant in Talent, Oregon that I used to go to with my mother and my sister every year when we went to the Shakespearean Festival and the Peter Britt Music Festival from about 1990 to about 2002. Great food, great plays, great music and big fun! He introduced us to homemade honey mead liquor also. The restaurant is gone but the memories of it are not.

2 cups water

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

1 tablespoon beef bouillon

1 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup Chanterelle mushrooms, or whatever mushrooms you have access to

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup cream

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup grated Caraway Jack cheese

In a saucepan add bouillons, water and stir in cornmeal and slowly bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until mixture has a smooth thick consistency. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish at 350. Spoon half of the cornmeal mixture into the baking dish. Add the sour cream and spread over the mush. Add the Cheddar cheese. Then add the rest of the cornmeal. Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

In a small sauce pan heat butter and sauté the mushrooms about 10 minutes and stir in flour, when flour is absorbed add the wine, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat.

Slice the cornmeal loaf into about ½” inch thick slices, dust with flour and sauté them in butter and oil about 10 minutes, or until browned on both sides. Place the cooked slices on a platter to keep warm while finishing the rest of them. Pour mushroom sauce on the fried cornmeal slices and sprinkle grated cheese on top and place under low heat of the broiler to heat reheat the sauce and melt the cheese.