Turkey and Mushroom Ragú over Polenta - Chef Sabrina Mancin

Turkey and Mushroom Ragú over Polenta

If you thought that turkey was only a Thanksgiving ingredient think again. It is incredibly flavorful, leaner than beef or pork and quite affordable. It cooks in a breeze without going dry and goes well with a myriad of ingredients and flavor combinations.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 people

RAGU

• 1lb = 454g ground turkey
• ½ cup = 62g chopped carrots (small chop)
• ½ cup = 56g chopped red onions (small chop)
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cups white wine (I like Sauvignon Blanc)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper (black or white)
• 10oz = 283g frozen Shitake mushrooms*
• 1 ½ cups water or chicken (or veggie) broth
• spring of rosemary (optional)

POLENTA

• 1 cup = 92g polenta (quick cooking)
• 4 cups water (or a combination of milk, broth and water)
• 2 T unsalted butter
• Parmigiano cheese, grated to taste

*Mushrooms: You can use any type of mushrooms you like and they could also be fresh. However I find frozen mushrooms to have a lot of flavor and be easy to cook. If you’d like to see how I cook frozen mushrooms, check out my YouTube video about it.

PROCEDURE

  • Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons of evoo and the ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper and if you want, you could add the spring of rosemary at this point.
  • Use a spatula to break it apart and move it around as you cook it.
  • Deglaze with a cup of white wine as it begins to turn golden brown on the bottom.
  • Once all the wine has evaporated, remove from the heat and place the cooked meat in a container and keep on the side.
  • Bring the pot back to medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Toast for a minute while constantly moving with a spatula.
  • Add the frozen mushrooms directly from the freezer and without adding any oil to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook until all the water they release has evaporated, THEN add about two more tablespoons of evoo.
  • Add the carrots and the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until these two veggies are soft.
  • Add back the turkey and deglaze with the other cup of white wine. Make sure you scrape the bottom very well.
  • Once the wine has evaporated, add the cup and a half of water or broth. Keep scraping the bottom and cook only for just two minutes after this. You want to leave some juices on the bottom. Done!
cumin-seeds-2

POLENTA

  • Simply bring the water (or broth, or milk or any combination) to a boil.
  • Season the water with some salt and drizzle in the polenta as you stir.
  • Cook for about 3 minutes (or follow packaging instructions).
  • Turn the heat off and add the butter and as much cheese as you’d like.
  • Polenta dries out as it cools down. To bring it back to a soft consistency, simply add more liquid and stir.

Serve the soft polenta on the bottom of a bowl and pour the delicious ragú on top with some of its juices. Enjoy!

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