In the Pan

Scott Conant shares some of his favorite recipes--with cooking techniques and special touches that make his dishes magically come together.

Take something, like a tomato, and totally focus on what will make it great. And for it to evolve to another level, from a flavor perspective, it's not a cerebral effort but a soulful one. It's a progression from a completely raw state, to adding a little bit of salt and olive oil, and so on...

Mushroom Fricassee: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they just begin to color on the edges. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is released. Add the chicken reduction, bring to a boil, reduce to a bubbling simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

"My favorite mushrooms to use in the fricassee include blue foots, black trumpets, and hen-of-the-woods."

Polenta: In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the cream and milk and heat over medium-high just until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Add the salt and whisk the cream and milk until quite frothy. Add the polenta and continue to whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil. Continue whisking for an additional 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook the polenta, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cornmeal is completely cooked and tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Be patient--even if the polenta has thickened and seems good after an hour, longer cooking will make it even better. As the polenta cooks, a skin will form on the bottom and sides of the pan (if you are not using a nonstick pan), which gives the polenta a slightly toasted flavor. Just before serving, stir in the butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and chives. The polenta should pour from the spoon as you serve it and will thicken as it cools. If necessary, you can thin the polenta with a little milk before serving. Divide the polenta among heated bowls or plates.

To Finish: Toss the mushrooms with the chives, and drizzle the truffle oil over the mushrooms. Be careful not to cook the truffle oil more than a few seconds, because the flavor and aroma will dissipate quickly. Spoon mushrooms and some of the cooking juices over each serving of the polenta.