Polenta with Prince Sauce

This recipe was created for a friend who could not digest fats or wheat products. You'll notice that it avoids butter or oil (except to coat the baking dish). You can add butter if you wish, but it's really not necessary. If you use dried Augustus prepared from mature specimens, the almond flavor will be mellowed, and the flavors will mesh better. Or you can substitute Agaricus arvensis, which has a more mellow almond flavor to begin with.

Total list of ingredients:


Prepare polenta a day in advance, chill overnight before preparing the remainder. Mix together:

Boil for 5 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Scoop into a buttered baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil so that the foil is not touching the mixture. (If you think the foil will touch, put butter on it as well.) Cook for one hour at 300 degrees. Let cool overnight, cut into squares.

Soak 1 cup of dried A. augustus with 1 cup water for 30 minutes. Get the following ready:

Cook the reconstituted mushrooms, onion, salt, pepper and garlic in the water used to soak the mushrooms. Simmer until the water is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Add:

Cook an additional 20 minutes on low heat.

Broil or grill the polenta to brown the exterior and heat thoroughly. Place on the serving dish and pour a portion of the mushroom sauce over top. Place several thinly sliced strips of roasted red peppers on top and serve.