Mushroom Bourguignon over Creamy Polenta

6 T butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 pounds (about 10 cups) mixed mushrooms, such as portobellos, cremini, chanterelles, white buttons, shiitakes or oyster mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups (257 g) peeled white pearl onions (I usually buy frozen as they are not always in season)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups diced leeks (1 large leek or 2 small leeks, white and light green parts only)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves (2 minced, 1 grated to a paste)
1 T (14 g) tomato paste
2-1/2 T (19 g) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups (355 g) dry red wine (I love a Bordeaux but any wine you enjoy works best here)
1-1/2 cups (355 g) vegetable or mushroom broth
1 T (15 g) tamari or soy sauce, plus more to taste
3 large fresh thyme branches or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf

For Serving
Smoked paprika
Creamy Polenta (also yummy over egg noodles or mashed potatoes)
Chopped flat-leaf parsley

Add 2 T butter or oil to a large Dutch oven or pot and set it over medium heat. When the fat is hot, stir in half the mushrooms and half the pearl onions. (If it doesn’t all fit in the pot in one layer, you might have to do this in three batches, rather than two.) Without moving them around too much, cook the mushrooms until they are brown on one side, 3-5 minutes. Stir and let them brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and onions to a large bowl or plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add more butter and repeat with the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions, seasoning them as you go. Set aside with the rest of the mushrooms.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 1 T butter or oil to pan. Add leeks and carrot and sauté until the leeks turn lightly golden and start to soften, 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for one minute, then add wine, broth, tamari, thyme and bay leaf, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot as you go.

Add the reserved cooked mushrooms and pearl onions back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Partly cover the pot and simmer on low heat until carrots and onions are tender and sauce is thick, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add more salt and tamari if needed.

Serve the Mushroom Bourguignon over polenta, noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with a little fresh parsley.

Creamy Polenta
(Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 25 minutes)

4 cups (946 g) water
1-1/2 tsp (9 g) table salt
1 cup (163 g) yellow polenta or coarsely ground cornmeal
2 T (9 g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (57 g) cream cheese (optional)

Bring salted water to boil in a thick-bottomed 2-3 quart pan. Slowly add the polenta, whisking to prevent lumps from forming.

Lower the heat to a very low simmer and add the butter. Continue to whisk until it starts to thicken (2 minutes or so). Cover the pan and let the polenta cook for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so the polenta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

It’s done when the polenta is soft and tender.

For creamier polenta:
Add 1/4 cup of cream cheese and stir it into the polenta.

Adapted from Melissa Clark’s recipe on New York Times Cooking