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1
Bring the 2 litres of salted water to a full rolling boil in a copper pot or heavy-based pot. Add the salt before the polenta enters the water — under-salted polenta tastes flat regardless of the topping. Pour the bramata in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps forming. The water should be visibly bubbling as the grain enters.
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2
Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for a minimum of 45 minutes, scraping the base and sides of the pot at every pass. The polenta is done when it pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot in a single mass and no raw, gritty texture remains on the tongue.
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3
While the polenta stirs, heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan over high heat until shimmering. Add the crumbled sausage and cook without moving it until deeply browned — the sausage fat renders and will baste the porcini as they cook together. The pan should smell of caramelised pork and fennel.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies. Add the sliced porcini to the browned sausage in a single, uncrowded layer. Do not reduce the heat. Sauté at high heat, turning only when a deep golden crust has formed on the underside — a crowded or low pan steams the mushrooms rather than searing them, and they lose all their character. The porcini are done when each slice is golden and firm, not collapsed or wet.
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5
If dried porcini were used, add the reserved soaking liquid (strained through cheesecloth) to the pan now. Allow it to reduce by half over high heat, basting the sausage and mushrooms. The sauce should smell of concentrated forest floor and sweet pork.
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6
Remove the polenta from the heat. Stir in the knob of butter (the mantecatura) until fully absorbed and the surface has a faint sheen. Pour the polenta onto a damp wooden board and allow it to settle for 2 minutes — the board imparts a faint wood aroma. Dress generously with the porcini and sausage sauce and bring the board to the table for communal eating.