Play Me a Recipe

Danielle Prewett makes Wild Mushrooms with Sweet Corn Grits

Episode Summary

'Wild + Whole' founder and Food52 contributor, Danielle Prewett, shares a truly seasonal recipe that highlights some classic end-of-summer ingredients.

Episode Notes

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Danielle starts listing them at 2:08) before starting the episode.

Corn Grits with Wild Mushrooms & Jammy Eggs

Serves 4

• 4 to 8 large eggs, depending on how hungry you are
• 2 fresh corn cobs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup diced roasted hatch chiles
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup medium-ground grits or polenta (not instant)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (loosely packed)
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, lobster, or oyster, cleaned well and dried
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 handful chopped cilantro leaves or chives, to garnish

1. Soft Boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and carefully ladle in each egg. Set a timer for 6:45 seconds for the perfect, soft-boiled egg. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel each egg. Set aside. This step can be made up to two days in advance.
2. Make the grits: Use the larger holes on a box grater and grate the corn. Do this inside of a large bowl to catch all of the liquid juices that come out. Set aside.
3. Heat butter or oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once hot, sauté the yellow onion until soft and lightly golden in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Pour in 3 cups of water and stir the pan to release any browned bits at the bottom. Stir in the diced hatch chiles, grated corn, sea salt, and grits. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until thickened about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the grits smooth. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the feta cheese and season to taste.
5. Make the mushrooms: Brush the mushrooms clean or wipe with a slightly damp towel. Do not wash under running water unless the mushrooms are gritty. If they are wet, be sure to let them air dry for a couple hours before cooking.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, spread the mushrooms across the pan. Once they’re down, leave them down and let them properly brown. After a few minutes, give the pan a hard shake to release them from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stir to combine, and cook for another 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. When the garlic is soft and golden, turn off the heat and squeeze half a lime into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. To serve: Spoon the sweet corn grits into a large bowl and top with the browned mushrooms. Top with a soft-boiled egg (or two!), plus a sprinkle of chives or fresh chopped cilantro.