Polenta Baskets with Meat Bites, Porcini Mushrooms and Cheese

🧾 General Information

• Category: Appetizer / Hot finger food
• Servings: 4
• Food cost target: 22–30%
• Service time: 8 minutes
• Difficulty: Medium

⚖️ Portion Sizes

• Cooked polenta: 120 g
• Meat bites: 50 g
• Porcini mushrooms: 35 g
• Melting cheese: 20 g
• Meat sauce: 15 ml

🧾 Total Ingredients (4 servings)

Polenta Base

• 300 g cornmeal for polenta
• 1.2 l water
• 10 g salt
• 20 g butter

Filling

• 200 g small beef cubes
• 140 g fresh or frozen porcini mushrooms
• 80 g melting cheese (Fontina, scamorza or provola)
• 1 small shallot
• 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 40 ml brown stock or reduced broth
• 20 ml fresh cream
• parsley
• salt
• pepper

⚙️ Base Preparation (Prep)

Polenta

• Cook the polenta until it reaches a firm consistency.
• Add butter and adjust salt.
• Spread lightly into individual molds, creating a central cavity.
• Cool completely.

Filling

• Sauté the shallot with olive oil.
• Add the meat bites.
• Add the sliced porcini mushrooms.
• Add stock and cream.
• Reduce until creamy.
• Finish with diced cheese.

👨‍🍳 Service Procedure

1. Fill the polenta baskets with the filling.
2. Briefly gratinate in the oven.
3. Check that the cheese is melted.
4. Finish with fresh parsley.
5. Serve immediately.

🔑 Critical Control Points (CCP)

• Polenta: must hold its shape without breaking.
• Filling: should not be too liquid.
• Cheese: melted but not excessive.
• Gratinating: short to avoid drying out.

🍽️ Plating

• White oval plate.
• Arrange 3–4 baskets per portion.
• Finish with:
  • chopped parsley
  • black pepper
  • drops of meat sauce

Premium Option

• black truffle
• light Parmesan fondue
• porcini powder

🛠️ Recommended Professional Equipment

All the equipment listed is available for purchase on Ristorazione-Refrigerazione.it.

• Professional polenta cooker for large volumes.
• Blast chiller for rapid cooling of the base.
• Combi oven for even gratinating.
• Induction plate for quick filling preparation.

💰 Estimated Food Cost

• Cost per portion: ~€1.52
• Recommended selling price: €9–13 depending on the venue

🔄 Menu Adaptability

• Bistro: hot appetizer with high turnover.
• Mid-range restaurant: premium comfort food proposal.
• Catering: excellent holding for buffets and banqueting.

🧠 Professional Logic

Dish designed for:

• advance preparation
• excellent service holding
• strong rustic and artisanal perception

Final quality depends on the structure of the polenta, the density of the filling and the correct final gratinating.