Rachael Ray: Brown Butter Polenta With Sausage & Mushroom Ragu

Rachael Ray: Brown Butter Polenta With Sausage & Mushroom Ragu

There’s no denying, Rachael Ray knows exactly how to win someone over: through their stomach. After the stars of the Food Network show Chopped prepared their best Thanksgiving Stuffing recipes, Rachael switched things up. Instead of a traditional Thanksgiving dish, she wanted to show viewers how to make a meal perfect for when you’re eating with family around the holidays. It may not be a special occasion just yet, but when you have loved ones in town, you want to be sure they don’t go hungry! Her Brown Butter Polenta with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu will surely impress anyone lucky enough to dig into it!

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Rachael Ray: Brown Butter Polenta With Sausage & Mushroom Ragu Recipe Ingredients

• 4 C chicken stock – divided
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage with fennel – bulk or removed from casings
• 1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes – crushed by hand
• 1 rib celery with leafy tops – finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic – crushed or chopped
• salt and pepper
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1 C quick-cooking polenta
• freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 1 C loosely packed dried porcini mushrooms – sliced
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary – chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 C whole milk
• 1 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Rachael Ray: Brown Butter Polenta With Sausage & Mushroom Ragu Recipe Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the porcini mushrooms and 1 1/2 C stock to a boil
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to soften the mushrooms
3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms to a cutting board
4. Coarsely chop the porcinis and save the mushroom-infused stock
5. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high
6. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking into pieces
7. Add the mushrooms and stir while cooking for 10 minutes
8. Add the onions, tomatoes, rosemary, celery, bay leaf, chopped porcinis, and browned sausage
9. Pour in the saved stock, leaving any grit that settled in the bottom of the pan
10. Season with salt and pepper then simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes, until the ragu thickens
11. Throw away the bay leaf
12. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat
13. Add the sage and cook for about 5 minutes until crispy, letting the butter brown
14. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel to drain then remove the pan from the heat and save
15. In a medium-size pot, bring the remaining 2 1/2 C stock and the milk to a low boil
16. Slowly, a little at a time, whisk in the polenta
17. Cook for about 3-5 minutes to thicken, then stir in the cheese, brown butter, and nutmeg, then season to taste
18. Line the shallow bowls with polenta
19. Make a well in the middle of the polenta and fill with ragu
20. Garnish with crispy sage