Fresh Corn Polenta with Cajun Mushrooms

The inspiration behind this recipe is Yotam Ottolenghi’s Sweet Corn Polenta With Eggplant Sauce. I had tried the recipe a few days ago and instantly fell in love with the fresh corn polenta. It is creamy and delicious and very simple to make. You could make this dish vegan by skipping the Parmesan in the polenta - there is no other dairy or dairy product in the rest of the recipe. Just substitute the Parmesan with a few tablespoons of vegan cheese or even soy milk. The fresh corn polenta is so creamy by itself that you don’t really need a lot of fat in it. But if you like the taste of butter then feel free to add some.

I want to talk a little about the Cajun mushrooms. I have been itching to make something with Cajun flavors for sometime now, but just because the cuisine is so seafood and meat oriented it was difficult to come up with something vegetarian that would compliment the Cajun flavors. I experimented with mushrooms because of its texture and flavor and bam! the combination worked so well. I was very happy with the way this dish tasted and highly encourage you to try it.

I didnt have any Cajun seasoning on hand and its not available in the market where I live, but I did have some paprika - so I made my own Cajun mix. It was super simple, I followed a recipe to which I have posted a link below in the recipe section just in case you are interested in making your own mix - and if not, then store bought mix will work just as fine. I could control the ratio of chili and garlic while making my own blend. So, really its your call on that.

Apart from that, everything is pretty simple to put together and tastes delicious. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! Happy Sunday!

Serving 2 to 3 people

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For Polenta

3 ear of fresh corn

1 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

salt

1. Separate corn kernels from the cob. Check this video for help.
2. In a saucepan add corn, water and salt. Cook on medium low for about 10 minutes or till corn is tender/cooked. Cool completely.
3. Transfer the corn and water in a blender and puree till it turns smooth.
4. Transfer the puree back into the saucepan and cook over low heat. Add Parmesan and stir.
5. Cook till the consistency starts resembling that of a polenta. If the mixture is a bit thick for some reason, just add a little water and continue to cook.
6. Taste for seasoning, keep side.

Cajun Mushroom

mushrooms, a mix of shitake & baby bella (can be substituted with portobello)

2 small onions, diced

3 tsp Cajun spice mix, see here

1 tsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups water

salt

1. In a saucepan heat up oil.
2. Add onions and cook with a few pinches of salt over low heat, you want the onions to caramelize slightly.
3. Once the onions turn brown, add the Cajun mix and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add the flour and cook for about a minute on low.
5. Add mushrooms and stir till they are coated in the onion and spice mixture evenly. Cook for a few minutes.
6. Add water and stir to form an even/smooth sauce.
7. Cover and cook on low till the mushrooms are cooked through - for about 5 minutes.
8. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Assembling the Polenta

Fill a bowl halfway with polenta. Spoon some mushrooms on top of the polenta and add some of the sauce over everything. Serve warm with some fresh basil.