Berbere Brown Butter Barley Polenta with Garlic Mushrooms (Ethiopian × Italian)

Method

1. Quarter the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium-high heat, spread the mushrooms in one layer and leave them untouched for 3 minutes. Toss, add half the salt and some pepper, and in the last minute add the sliced garlic and thyme, cooking 7 min in total until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

   Add in this stepButton mushrooms 200 gExtra virgin olive oil 2 tbspGarlic cloves 2Thyme sprigs 2Salt ¼ tspBlack pepper to taste

   medium-high heat

2. Bring the stock and the rest of the salt to the boil in a heavy-based 18 cm pot over high heat, about 5 min.

   Add in this stepVegetable stock 650 mlSalt ¼ tsp

   high heat

3. Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and whisk in the barley flour a little at a time. Switch to a wooden spoon and cook for 14 min, stirring often, until it's a soft, spoonable polenta that spreads on a plate, looser than genfo. If it gets too stiff, add hot water a little at a time. It spits as it bubbles, so take care.

   Add in this stepBarley flour 120 g

   medium-low heat

4. Take it off the heat and stir in a little of the butter and most of the Parmigiano until melted and creamy. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.

   Add in this stepButter 14 gParmigiano Reggiano, grated 21 g

5. Melt the remaining butter in a small 14 cm pan over medium heat and cook for 2 min 30 sec, swirling the pan, until the milk solids under the foam turn hazelnut brown and it smells nutty. Turn off the heat straight away and stir in the berbere. It burns fast, so always add it off the heat.

   Add in this stepButter 31 gBerbere 1 tsp

   medium heat

6. Spread the polenta on warm plates, pile the mushrooms on top and spoon over the berbere brown butter. Finish with the rest of the Parmigiano and chopped parsley, and serve hot.

   Add in this stepParmigiano Reggiano, grated 9 gFlat-leaf parsley 4 g