Flame-grilled portobello mushrooms with crispy grilled polenta, lemon thyme, chévre crumb & pesto

Directions

1. For the pesto, place the basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts and parmesan into a food processor. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running, blitzing quickly until smooth. Transfer to a jar, cover and place in the fridge until needed.
2. Note on polenta: A good ratio to remember is 250g uncooked polenta to 1 litre of water. Once done, add approx. a cup of grated parmesan and a little truffle-infused olive oil. Mix well to combine. For this recipe, you will need 900g finished polenta.
3. To finish the polenta, preheat the FURNACE OR FORCE BBQ. Spread the cooked polenta mixture out onto a metal baking tray and cover with a second tray so it is ‘sandwiched’. Place under the hood of the BBQ and cook until crisp. Once set, cut into round or square shapes and brush with a little olive oil. Cook on a hot, lightly oiled pan until golden and crispy on all sides. Set aside to keep warm.
4. For the mushrooms, brush them on all sides with a little olive oil. Season and place onto the grill, gills side-down at first. Once browned, turn them over and scatter over the thyme leaves. Seasoning and brushing with a little oil once more. Continue to cook until the cap has filled with mushroom juices. Remove from the heat and top with a little goat’s cheese.
5. Serve the mushroom on top of the crispy polenta and finish with pesto, crispy prosciutto and fresh basil leaves.