From Chef Scott Conant

Recipe Serves: 4-6

A note From Chef Conant:

The history of polenta dates back more than six centuries to the Roman Empire. This flavorful recipe brings polenta's long history in Italian cuisine to life. Its richness and texture make this the perfect winter dish for a cold night, while the sweetness of chives will have you dreaming of spring.

Polenta Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
• 2/3 cup cornmeal, preferably coarse ground
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

Fricassee of Truffled mushroom ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces mixed domestic and wild mushrooms (Honshimeji, shiitake and oyster for example), sliced or cut into naturally occurring pieces, about 2 cups
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken reduction or purchased chicken reduction, diluted with water to a liquid
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives
• 1 teaspoon preserved white truffles 

Polenta Instructions:

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high heat just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
2. Add the salt, and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy.
3. Add the polenta and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes. 
4. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, switch to a wooden spoon and stir every 5 minutes or so, until the cornmeal is completely cooked and quite tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. It may seem very thin initially, but it will gradually thicken. As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of the pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which is proper and which gives the polenta a slightly toasty flavor.

Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms Instructions:

1. Prepare the Fricassee of Truffled Mushrooms while polenta is cooking. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until the shallots just begin to color on their edges. 
2. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is released.
3. Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. 

To serve:

1. Stir the butter, the Grana Padano and the chives into the polenta. The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools. If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk just before serving. Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.
2. Just before serving, reheat the mushrooms if necessary. Toss the mushrooms with the chives and drizzle a little of the preserved truffles over the mushrooms. Be careful not to cook the truffles more than a few seconds, because the flavor dissipates quickly. Spoon some mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of polenta.