Yotam Ottolenghi, I love you

Due to a request from some readers in Montana (not naming any names), I've typed this recipe up, which I guess is what we're all supposed to be doing every time we post food on this thing, right? Ah, well. Nothing wrong with pure narrative, but, in case anybody was wondering, this is the "star" of my and Molly's recent post about our polenta feast. (Or was Andrew the star? Or the lactose-intolerance? Or the Wyoming landscape?)

MUSHROOM AND HERB POLENTA
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Liza

4 TBS olive oil
4 cups mixed mushrooms, cut into whatever size piece you want to eat
2 garlic cloves, crushed/minced
1 TBS chopped tarragon
1 TBS chopped thyme
1 TBS truffle oil (obviously we omitted this with no ill consequences)
salt and black pepper
2 1/4 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. polenta
3 oz. Parmesan, grated
2 1/2 TBS butter
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 TBS chopped chervil (who the heck knows what that is?)
4 oz. Taleggio, cut into 3/8" slices (ever inventive in the Wyoming grocery stores, we substituted sharp cheddar cheese)

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Heat half the olive oil (2 TBS) in a big frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms and fry until just cooked - if you don't move them a lot, they'll get nice golden-brown patches, says Yotam. Remove from the pan and do the same thing with the other half of themushrooms and the rest of the oil. Remove the pan from the heat, put all the mushrooms back in, and add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, truffle oil (yeah right), and some salt and pepper. Yotam's advice, uncharacteristically unspecific: "Keep warm."

Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the polenta,then reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It's ready when it "leaves the side of the pan but is still runny." That made no sense to me, and I just let it cook to porridge consistency.

Preheat your broiler. When the polenta's done, stir in Parmesan, butter, rosemary, and half the mysterious chervil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the polenta over/in a heatproof dish and top with the Taleggio. Place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles. Then top all of that with the mushrooms and their juices, return to the broiler to get warm, and serve it hot, "garnished with the remaining chervil." And Lactaid pills.