Wild mushroom, fontina and caramelised shallot polenta bites

Posted on 1 April, 2016

Polenta is kind of a soggy yawnfest, right?

Uhhhh, nope. Not when you shape it into bite-sized discs, bake those discs, then cover them in golden melty cheese and shove them into your hungry little face. These wild mushroom fontina and caramelised shallot polenta bites are the perfect autumn party starter. And frankly, their cheese to base ratio is downright obscene.

I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like. But I reckon fontina would have to be one of my faves. It’s got a deliciously pungent, earthy flavour, which goes really well with the woodiness of mushroom and the sweetness of caramelised shallot.

And sure, caramelising onion the proper way is a bit of a pain in the bum. But when it’s done right, sweet Nigella is it worth it. For this recipe, I like to use shallots rather than your conventional onion, just because they have a bit more sweetness and a hint of garlic about them.

And for the mushrooms, I go for a combo of shitake, oyster and flat swiss mushrooms, to get a good mix of flavours and textures. But you can use whatever you like really.

So update your playlist, put the bubbles on ice and prepare to eat your way through the weekend in style.

Wild mushroom, fontina and caramelised shallot polenta bites recipe

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins
Makes: 40

Ingredients

250g instant polenta
Water (see polenta packet instructions)
1 tsp sea salt
4 rosemary sprigs
Garlic-infused olive oil (see note)
Mixed wild mushrooms, sliced thinly (I used 6 shitake, 4 oyster and 4 flat swiss)
200g fontina cheese, grated
10 shallots, sliced finely
20g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of caster sugar

Instructions

For caramelised onions

Divide butter and olive oil between two large frying pans or skillets and melt butter over low-medium heat. Divide sliced shallots between the two pans, add a small pinch of sea salt and caster sugar to each and cook on low-medium for around 45 mins, stirring every 5-7 minutes.

For mushrooms

While shallots are caramelising, preheat oven to 180°C. Arrange mushrooms in a flat baking tray in a single layer, add rosemary, a splash of olive oil and some course sea salt and pepper and bake for around 10 mins.

For polenta bites

Keep oven pre-heated to 180°C. Cook polenta according to packet instructions, then spread mixture out on a sheet of baking paper (about 1/2 cm thickness) and place into the fridge to chill for around 20 mins.

Once polenta is set, cut discs from the mixture with a small cookie cutter (about 5cm diameter), moving them to an oven tray lined with baking paper. Brush the discs with the garlic infused olive oil and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese on. Bake for 7 mins.

Remove from the oven, top with mushrooms, caramelised shallots and the remaining cheese. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Serve with green salad leaves.

Note: You can make garlic infused olive oil by simmering 1/4 cup olive oil and 6 cloves of garlic in a large frying pan on the lowest heat for 45 mins to an hour. You can also buy it from gourmet supermarkets.

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Read this article in full and more in our latest edition of Magazine: The Celebration Issue. Available for free across Canberra now. Click here to find your closest stockist.