The Bagatti Valsecchi Loggia: Gentle Pan-Seared Polenta Medallions with Wild Chanterelles and Taleggio Fonduta
There is a quiet magic to Milan in the autumn, when the city's historic palazzos seem to glow against the crisp evening air. Whenever I wander through the rooms of the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, I am transported back to my grandmother's Piedmontese kitchen, where rustic comfort always met an unerring eye for design. This dish is my edible tribute to that aesthetic. The crisp-tender, golden polenta medallions serve as a load-bearing architectural base, perfectly engineered to support a rich medley of wild autumn chanterelles and cremini. Finished with a velvety Taleggio fonduta, it captures the very soul of Northern Italian comfort food, yet it comes together effortlessly in under forty minutes for the modern weeknight. My secret? Let the ingredients do the heavy lifting by using premium pre-cooked polenta tubes sliced thick, allowing you to bypass the long stove-side vigil without sacrificing an ounce of integrity. If you cannot find chanterelles, wild shiitakes make a wonderful stand-in, bringing their own earthy complexity to the plate. Weeknight cooking should always feel like a restorative escape, never a chore.
Featured Recipe
The Bagatti Valsecchi Loggia: Gentle Pan-Seared Polenta Medallions with Wild Chanterelles and Taleggio Fonduta
Crisp-tender, golden pan-seared polenta medallions provide an architectural base for a rich medley of wild autumn chanterelles and cremini, finished with a velvet Taleggio fonduta. Elegant, restorative, and ready in under forty minutes, it captures the soul of Northern Italian comfort for the modern weeknight table.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 lb Prepared fine polenta tube(sliced into 8 equal rounds, patted completely dry)
- 12 oz Wild chanterelle and cremini mushrooms(cleaned and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces)
- 4 tbsp Unsalted high-fat butter(divided; 2 tbsp for searing, 2 tbsp for finishing the mushrooms)
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil(divided)
- 1 medium Shallot(finely minced)
- 8 Fresh sage leaves(left whole)
- 0.33 cup Dry white vermouth(such as Carpano Bianco or Martini Bianco)
- 0.33 cup Rich chicken brodo or vegetable stock(warm, high-quality store-bought)
- 5 oz Taleggio cheese(rind trimmed away, cut into small cubes)
- 0.33 cup Heavy cream
- 0.25 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano(finely grated, aged 24 months)
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme(leaves stripped)
- 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper(to taste)
- 1 tbsp olive oil(Used in step 2)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter(Used in step 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil(Used in step 3)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter(Used in step 3)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter(Used in step 5)
Instructions
- 1
Place a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add 0.33 cup heavy cream and bring it to a gentle warmth without simmering. Whisk in 5 oz Taleggio cheese and 0.25 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in small batches, stirring continuously until melted into a glossy, velvety fonduta. Season with a tiny pinch of 0.25 tsp sea salt and cracked black pepper. Keep warm on the absolute lowest heat, giving it an occasional gentle stir.
6 min
Tip: Taleggio melts like a dream, but excessive heat will break the emulsion; keep the flame barely kissing the bottom of the pot.
- 2
Set a large 12-inch heavy stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Once the butter foams and settles, arrange 12 oz wild chanterelle and cremini mushrooms in an even, uncrowded layer. Let them cook undisturbed for 4 minutes to achieve deep golden caramelization on the edges before tossing.
5 min
Tip: Mushrooms need breathing room to brown properly rather than steam; resist the urge to stir them during the first few minutes.
- 3
While the mushrooms begin their second side, place a second wide nonstick or well-seasoned carbon steel skillet over medium heat. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Add 8 fresh sage leaves and let them sizzle for 1 minute until crisp, then gently lower the 8 rounds of 1 lb prepared fine polenta tube into the scented fat. Pan-sear without moving them until a crackling, pale-gold architectural crust forms.
7 min
Tip: Moisture is the enemy of a crisp crust; ensure the polenta slices were patted thoroughly with a clean paper towel before meeting the hot pan.
- 4
Return your focus to the mushroom pan. Add 1 medium shallot and stripped leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme to the browned mushrooms, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with 0.33 cup dry white vermouth, scraping up any caramelized fond. Pour in 0.33 cup chicken brodo and simmer rapidly until reduced by half into a glossy glaze, about 3 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 1 tbsp unsalted butter off the heat.
4 min
Tip: Dry vermouth delivers botanicals that lift the earthy musk of wild chanterelles without the sharp, unintegrated acidity of raw white wine.
- 5
Carefully flip the polenta medallions using a thin fish spatula. Add the final 1 tbsp unsalted butter around the edges of the pan, basting the crisped tops with the foaming, sage-infused fat while the reverse side sears to an identical golden crispness.
5 min
Tip: Basting adds an even, nutty sheen across the surface that holds its crunch against the fonduta.
- 6
Pool a generous ladle of the warm Taleggio fonduta in the center of two warmed wide shallow bowls. Arrange the crisp, golden polenta medallions atop the cheese foundation. Spoon the glossy vermouth-glazed wild mushrooms over and around the medallions, topping each plate with the crisped sage leaves and a crack of fresh black pepper.
3 min
Tip: Always pre-warm your serving plates; cold porcelain will prematurely stiffen the delicate cheese fonduta.
Chef's Notes
In Milanese design, every element has a structural purpose. Here, the polenta medallions act as load-bearing pilasters—crisped to withstand the rich, luscious fonduta beneath them. Sourcing good wild chanterelles in October brings the aroma of Piedmont's pine forests straight into a brisk Milanese apartment, while dry white vermouth provides the acidity that ties the entire room together.
Elena Rossi
Effortless Northern Italian elegance for busy modern weeknights.
Milan-born Elena Rossi, her true passion was always simmering on the stove. Raised on the rich, comforting flavors of her grandmother's Piedmontese kitchen, Elena found herself constantly reimagining those time-intensive classics for her own demanding, fast-paced lifestyle. Today, Elena is the voice behind a beloved culinary movement that proves authentic Italian food does not require spending eight hours stirring a pot. She beautifully merges the precision of her design background with the soul of Northern Italian cooking, offering busy home cooks a stylish, stress-free approach to dinner. Whether she is utilizing a pressure cooker for a Tuesday night osso buco or elevating a high-quality store-bought brodo with fresh herbs, Elena empowers her readers to cook with confidence. Her recipes are a testament to the idea that practicality and elegance can perfectly coexist on the modern dinner table.