Polenta crostini with sautéed mushrooms and wild boar ragù

Ingredients

• 500 gquick-cooking maize flour
• As needed; 1.5 litres for the polenta, plus extra hot water if neededwater
• 80 gbutter
• 1 tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
• To tastesalt
• As neededextra-virgin olive oil
• A few small knobsbutter
• 500 gmixed mushrooms
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 1 tablespoonchopped parsley
• 1 knobbutter
• 2 tablespoonsolive oil
• To tastesalt
• To tastepepper
• 500 gwild boar meat
• 1 litrepassata
• 1 tablespoontomato purée
• 500 mlred wine, preferably Chianti
• 2onions
• 1carrot
• 1 stickcelery
• 2 leavesbay
• A fewjuniper berries
• A fewwhole peppercorns
• 1 clovegarlic
• 2 leavessage
• 1 sprigrosemary
• 1meat stock cube
• 1 bunchparsley
• 100 mlTuscan extra-virgin olive oil
• To tastesalt
• To tastepepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the boar

   The day before cooking, cut the wild boar into pieces and put it in a bowl with one onion, the juniper berries, peppercorns, sage, rosemary and bay leaves.

2. 2

   Prepare the ingredients

   Cover the meat with the wine and leave it to marinate for 24 hours, turning it a couple of times. The next day, lift out the meat, drain it and chop it into small cubes with a knife. Strain and reserve the wine. Trim, wash and dry the remaining onion, carrot, garlic, parsley and celery, then finely chop them.

3. 3

   Brown the meat

   Heat the oil in a pan, preferably an earthenware one. Fry the chopped vegetables; after a few minutes, when they begin to turn golden, add the wild boar. Season with salt and pepper and brown the meat. Pour in the reserved wine and let the alcohol evaporate.

4. 4

   Cook the ragù

   Stir in the passata and stock cube. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for about 1 hour. Check whether the meat is tender and cook for longer if needed; if the ragù becomes too dry, add a little hot water. Taste and adjust the salt when it is cooked.

5. 5

   Prepare the mushrooms

   Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and cut them into pieces.

6. 6

   Sauté the mushrooms

   Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the peeled, crushed garlic cloves and brown them, then remove them once golden. Add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring gently with a wooden spoon.

7. 7

   Finish the mushrooms

   Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Just before turning off the heat, stir in the chopped parsley, then transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. Add a glass of hot water to the pan juices to loosen the browned bits, simmer for a couple of minutes, then pour the juices over the mushrooms.

8. 8

   Cook the polenta

   Bring 1.5 litres of salted water with 1 tablespoon of oil to the boil. At the first sign of boiling, take the pan off the heat and whisk in the maize flour. Return it to the heat and keep stirring with a wooden spoon in the same direction until the polenta reaches the desired consistency.

9. 9

   Set the polenta

   If the polenta needs loosening, stir in a few ladlefuls of hot water. When it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, add the butter and mix thoroughly. Take it off the heat, pour it into an oiled rectangular mould and spread it evenly. Leave to cool, then cut into rectangular slices about 2 cm thick.

10. 10

    Fry and serve

    Fry the polenta slices on both sides in plenty of hot oil until a golden crust forms. Alternatively, brown them in an oven preheated to 180°C until a golden crust forms on the surface. Arrange the crostini on a serving plate, top half with the mushrooms and half with the wild boar ragù, and serve hot.

What are polenta crostini?

Polenta is a northern Italian staple made by cooking maize flour with water; once cooled and firm, it can be sliced and crisped. These crostini turn that soft-set base into a substantial starter with two contrasting toppings.

Wild boar ragù and mushrooms are a fittingly rustic pairing for a winter dish. The long wine marinade seasons the meat, while a slow simmer gives the tomato sauce time to take on its flavour.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1250 calories, 43g protein, 119g carbs, 67g fat.

The maize flour supplies most of the carbohydrates, while the butter and oils contribute much of the fat. Wild boar provides the main protein, with smaller amounts also coming from the mushrooms. Serve a few crostini with a green salad or other vegetables to balance the rich toppings.

The wild boar marinade

Aromatics: the onion, juniper, peppercorns, sage, rosemary and bay infuse the meat during its 24-hour soak. Keep the wine after straining it; it becomes the deglazing liquid for the ragù.

Chopping: cut the drained meat into small, even cubes so it browns well and is easy to spoon onto the crostini.

Building the ragù

Soffritto: cook the finely chopped vegetables in the oil until they start to colour, before adding the meat. This gives the sauce a savoury base without rushing the browning.

Simmer: keep the pan covered over a low heat for about an hour, checking the meat for tenderness. Add hot water if the sauce gets too thick before the meat is ready.

Keeping the mushrooms savoury

Cleaning: wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth rather than soaking them, then cut them into pieces. Mixed varieties bring different textures to the topping.

Cooking: brown the garlic, then remove it once golden before adding the mushrooms. Their short, lively initial cook and covered 5-minute finish help them soften while keeping their flavour in the pan juices.

Getting the polenta texture right

Stirring: whisk the flour into the hot water off the heat first to help avoid lumps, then return the pan to the heat and stir steadily in one direction. The polenta is ready for the mould when it thickens and pulls away from the sides.

Setting: spread it evenly in an oiled rectangular mould and let it cool fully before slicing. The 2 cm slices should hold their shape when lifted and turned in the pan.

Crisping and serving

Frying: use plenty of well-heated oil and turn the slices once a golden crust has formed. For the oven option, cook at 180°C until the surfaces are golden.

Serving: top half the crostini with mushrooms and half with ragù, as described in the method. Serve them hot, perhaps with a simple green salad to add freshness alongside the rich toppings.

Recipe notes & tips

• Start the marinade the day before so the meat has the full 24 hours to take on the aromatics.
• Reserve the strained wine after marinating; it is used to deglaze the browned meat.
• If the ragù thickens before the meat is tender, loosen it with a little hot water.
• Let the polenta cool and set fully before cutting it into slices.
• Make the crostini evenly thick so they brown at a similar rate.
• Keep both toppings warm and add them just before serving.

Variations

• Oven-crisped: bake the polenta slices at 180°C instead of frying them.
• More mushrooms: increase the mushroom topping for a vegetable-forward balance.
• Herb change: use a little extra chopped parsley for a fresher finish.
• Wine choice: use another dry red wine in place of Chianti.
• Rustic presentation: serve the ragù and mushrooms in separate bowls so guests can choose their topping.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the marinade: give the wild boar the full 24 hours in the wine and aromatics.
• Discarding the wine: strain and reserve it to deglaze the meat.
• Rushing the simmer: keep the ragù at a low heat and check that the meat is tender before finishing.
• Over-soaking mushrooms: wipe them clean with a damp cloth instead of leaving them in water.
• Slicing soft polenta: let it cool and set in the mould before cutting.
• Using cool frying oil: heat the oil well before adding the slices so they can form a golden crust.

How to store

Keep leftover ragù and mushrooms in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store plain polenta slices separately and crisp them in a frying pan or in a 180°C oven; reheat the toppings gently until hot. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.

Frequently asked questions