Flame-grilled portobello mushrooms with crispy grilled polenta, lemon thyme, chévre crumb & pesto

Directions

1. For the pesto, place the basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts and parmesan into a food processor. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running, blitzing quickly until smooth. Transfer to a jar, cover and place in the fridge until needed.

2. Note on polenta: A good ratio to remember is 250g (8.82 oz) uncooked polenta to 1 litre (33.81 fl oz) of water. Once done, add approx. a cup of grated parmesan and a little truffle-infused olive oil. Mix well to combine. For this recipe, you will need 900g (1.98 lbs) finished polenta.

3. To finish the polenta, preheat the FURNACE™ OR FORCE™ Grill. Spread the cooked polenta mixture out onto a metal baking tray and cover with a second tray so it is ‘sandwiched’. Place under the hood of the Grill and cook until crisp. Once set, cut into round or square shapes and brush with a little olive oil. Cook on a hot, lightly oiled pan until golden and crispy on all sides. Set aside to keep warm.

4. For the mushrooms, brush them on all sides with a little olive oil. Season and place onto the grill, gills side-down at first. Once browned, turn them over and scatter over the thyme leaves. Seasoning and brushing with a little oil once more. Continue to cook until the cap has filled with mushroom juices. Remove from the heat and top with a little goat’s cheese.
5. Serve the mushroom on top of the crispy polenta and finish with pesto, crispy prosciutto and fresh basil leaves.