The rich flavors of the stew perfectly compliment the crisp, crunchy corn mush. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
This recipe is a variation of one of my go-to dinners: red- wine braised [insert red meat here] over cheesy polenta. The acidic, dark-fruit flavors of dry red wine and hardy herbs complement dark meat well, and served atop creamy polenta, you get a soul-satisfying meal. It’s one of my husband’s absolute favorite dishes. You can slow cook sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chicken to make a rich stew.
For this recipe, I’ve changed things up a bit. Instead of polenta, I serve this sharp-tailed grouse and wild mushroom stew over crispy parmesan corn mush, which is basically polenta that’s chilled, cut, and fried. Although corn mush is a bit more work than whipping up a pot of polenta in 10 minutes, you do get a textural contrast that I always thought my original recipe was missing—soft stew over soft polenta isn’t as interesting on the palate. Crispy squares of corn mush, however, offer a different experience. You get all the flavor and creaminess of polenta on the inside, with the added bonus of a golden, crunchy exterior.
For a more traditional, American-style corn mush recipe, skip the parmesan cheese, but not the salt. This recipe makes four squares of corn mush, and leftovers of the plain version is divine with maple syrup. Among Midwesterners, corn mush can bring back fond memories. My husband mentions his late father and their early morning fishing trips whenever the topic of corn mush comes up.
Sharap-tailed Grouse, Chanterelles, and Crispy Corn Mush Serves: 2-3 Prep Time: 8 hours Cooking Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chicken, quartered 2 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms (or 1⁄2 ounce dried) Kosher salt 1 medium onion, chopped Olive oil 1 Tablespoon butter 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped 1 celery stalk, halved 1 sprig of rosemary 2 Tablespoon tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1⁄3 cup dry red wine 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, plus extra Chopped chives Parmesan Corn Mush:
3 cups water 1 cup polenta/coarse ground cornmea 3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese Frying oil Directions:
The day before, prepare the corn mush: In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of water and 3⁄4 tsp. of kosher salt to a boil. Then whisk in polenta corn meal, getting rid of all lumps. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Line an 8x8 cake pan with plastic wrap. Pour in the polenta and evenly spread out the mixture while it’s still hot. Allow it to cool on the counter before refrigerating overnight to firm up. If using fresh chanterelle mushrooms, ignore this step. If using dried mushrooms, submerge mushrooms in warm water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Later, reserve the strained mushroom liquid to replace some of the chicken stock in the stew (optional). Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. To make the stew: In a 4-quart enameled cast iron pot, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil and 1 tbs. of butter over medium-high heat. Add chanterelle mushrooms (drained if using dried) with a pinch of salt and sauté until browned at the edges, stirring occasionally. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl, cover and set aside.Sauté the mushrooms until they are browned at the eges. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Season grouse pieces with salt and coat with all-purpose flour. Add 1 tbs. of olive oil to the cast iron pot and fry coated grouse until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Lower heat to medium and add onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary with a pinch of salt, and sauté until onions become translucent and soft. Then, add garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Next, add red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Return grouse pieces to the pot and submerge with chicken stock, about 2 cups. Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake in a 325° oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes, or until grouse becomes tender. Check the stew halfway through to flip grouse pieces and to add more chicken stock, if needed. When stew is done, transfer to the stove to simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce or to add more stock if stew becomes dry—you can complete this step during reheating if you’re going to serve the stew the day after. Season to taste. Stir in the cooked mushrooms. To fry the polenta: Remove polenta from the baking pan and cut into 4 equal-size pieces. Blot pieces dry if wet from condensation. Heat about 1⁄4 inch of oil to 350° Fahrenheit. In a 10-inch non-stick pan, fry two of the polenta squares until golden and crispy on both sides, using a spatula (or two) to gently flip them without splattering hot oil, and then drain on paper towels. If serving two, you’d likely only need two pieces —snack on the other two later. Serve fried polenta with grouse and chopped chives.The corn mush should be fried until it is golden and crispy on both sides. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
