Mushrooms stifado with cornmeal mash

Oh, this is a delicious vegetarian as well as Lenten dish! Although there is no meat involved it is very hearty and filling. The mushrooms cooked in a tasty sauce and accompanied with this unusual but special mash. Try it out now while the weather is still quite Wintry. Don't get confused by the word "cornmeal" in the ingredients below! In Greece we call it "corn flour (kalabok-alevro)", meaning the "flour coming out of corn". In other words, the yellow flour ground from dried maize which we use for corn bread or as an ingredient in various crustless savoury pies. On the other hand, the word "cornflour" is used in Greece (in English) when we refer to the "corn starch", the ingredient to thicken up soups, sauces and to make custard cream for various desserts (like galaktoboureko)

Adapted from a recipe of Argyro Barbarigou,
a prominent Head Cook in Greece
Check out her great site Argiro for more delicious recipes

Ingredients (for 4 people):
1Kg of fresh mixed mushrooms (of your choice)
1/2 tea-cup of dried porcini mushrooms (I didn't use any)
1/4 tea-cup of olive oil
6 medium shallots, cut in slices
1 large carrot, coarsely grated (optional -my addition)
1 bay leaf (optional -my addition)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
400gr. of tinned tomatoes concassé
1/2 tsp of dried thyme
1/3 tea-cup of dry red wine
salt
pepper

For the cornmeal mash:
1 ½ tea-cup of cornmeal (not the corn starch - see notes on top)
3 tea-cups warm vegetable stock or water (or chicken if and when not fasting)
2 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
salt

Method:
Put some hot water in a bowl and soak the porcini for 20 minute to recover their lost moisture and volume.

Thoroughly clean the mushrooms and cut them in half or in quarters if they are large (bite-sized).

In a spacious pot warm the oil in medium heat and sauté the onions for about 7-8 minutes until they are translucent, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

Add the thyme, the garlic and the mushrooms and stir. Turn the heat to medium-high and pour over with the wine. Leave for a couple of minutes to allow alcohol to evaporate and then add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for about 5 minutes on high heat and then turn down to medium-low. Cover the pot with the lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the purée. Put the stock (or the water) in a saucepan and warm through on medium heat. Add 1/2 a tea-cup of the food liquids and stir.

When the ingredients come to the boil add the cornmeal sprinkling from a height, while stirring vigorously with a whisk until the purée is set and thickened. Take off the heat, season with salt, add the parsley and stir.

Serve immediately placing a rich layer of mushrooms on each plate and on top a few generous dollops of mash.