The following was given to me by Phil, who along with his dog Gracie, provide OMG with our fresh white and black truffles we offer when available.
Cooking With Truffles
The truffle is a delicate, sublime ingredient, and any enterprise that involves this delicacy should be entered with the utmost of preparation and thought. Much care should go into examining the kind of gourmet truffle in your possession to determine how best to use it. Things to consider: is it summer, winter, black, or white? What is the presentation? Preparing dishes À LA PÉRIGOURDINE is nothing less of an art.
Truffles tend to infuse their odor and flavor to everything around them, which is why they work perfectly with ingredients that are submissive and agreeable to let the truffle take center stage.
Universal Rules
- The Truffle Is King: The noble truffle is king, and other ingredients should bow to him. Never try to overthrow him with other foods with strong flavors and overwhelming aromas, as the truffle flavor will be lost – a horrible waste.
- Fat is good! Fats work perfectly with truffles, and help bring the full flavor out, which is why truffles are usually paired with fatty foods like foie gras, butter, cheese, cream, and oils. Whichever kind of truffle you’re using, this rule works.
- Holy Trinity: Pasta, rice, potatoes. Bland foods are brilliant to bring out the delicious flavor of the truffle.
- Shave, Sliver, and Slice: You always want to maximize the truffle flavor, using the least amount of the ingredient as possible. So always slice into paper-thin wedges or strips, and let them work their magic. Use a truffle shaver (similar to a cheese grater) when shaving truffles. As for quantity, typically use 8-10 grams of truffle per person.
- Save the Peel! If the recipe asks for a peeled truffle, save the peel to use for other recipes, or sauces.
- Punch Up The Preserved. If you have eaten or cooked with Fresh Truffles before, don’t expect to get the same flavor out of Preserved Truffles. Although aromatically exceptional in their own right, we do recommend enhancing the flavor of preserved truffles with a Truffle Oil or Concentrato or a Truffle Paste, to truly bring back the fresh truffle flavor.
Fresh Truffles
Always should be used the same day, or within 3 days of purchase.
Preserved Truffles
Have a long shelf life, but after opening consume within a week.
Cooking with Winter Black Truffles
This famed truffle is the prize ingredient of chefs everywhere from five star restaurants to sophisticated kitchens. While you will find many connoisseurs have different opinions on the preparation of Winter Black truffles, there are some universally respected precepts:
- Winter Black Truffles are best if used when cooking a dish, as their aroma and flavor are long-lasting, and will seep into your preparation.
- The French adore their Perigord Diamond when used in scrambled eggs and an omelet, as eggs easily assimilate the subtle earthy flavor of black truffles. This is also a very easy way of using black truffles, since it leaves almost no room for error. Plus, if you’re using preserved truffles, you can also use the truffle juice in the egg mixture, for even more of that yummy truffle flavor.
- Pasta, cuore! Indeed, shave, slice thinly, or grate over a hearty creamy pasta sauce, and prepare to reach heaven in one bite.
- Most tubers and vegetables with clean, fresh flavors contrast nicely with the intensely pungent essence of truffles, especially celery root, leeks.
Cooking with Winter White Truffles
- Because they are so aromatic and pungent, but their aroma tends to fade relatively quickly, White Truffles (especially the winter variety) should NEVER be cooked.
- Keep it simple: Clean, slice or shave over some cooked risotto or pasta and you’re done.
- They should never be mixed with any ingredient high in acidity, which would cause the flavor of the truffle to subside.
- Let the truffle work its magic, and always add towards the end of the preparation.
- Want to be super ingenious (ok, so we stole this from Wolfgang Puck)? Top a deluxe cheese pizza!
Cooking with Summer Black Truffles
- Since summer black truffles are the less expensive of the bunch, you can be more creative. Basically follow the instructions for winter black truffles, but feel free to experiment with different recipes and ingredients, always remembering the flavor will be much more subtle than the winter variety, so it won’t be as spectacular.
Cooking with Summer White Truffles
- Use the same way you would use a winter white truffle, don’t expect the same pungent aroma. So in this case, you can choose to cook them and experiment more.
Tagliolini with White Truffle This recipe serves 4. INGREDIENTS flour – 400g eggs – 2 butter – 80g cheese (Parmesan) – 80g (10/70) vegetable broth – 60ml winter white truffle – 1 nutmeg – 5g salt – to taste pepper – to taste METHOD Make the tagliolini with eggs by hand. Mix the flour with about 100ml of water to make the dough. Add the eggs and grate 10g of the cheese into the dough, and knead well. Roll it out into a thin sheet, and cut it evenly with a knife into strips about 3mm wide. Set aside. Melt 60g of butter in a small saucepan, and grate the nutmeg and the rest of the cheese into the sauce and stir. Add the vegetable stock and simmer over low heat for a few minutes to reduce the sauce, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Boil salted water in a large pot and cook the tagliolini for a few minutes until al dente. Drain and toss with the butter and cheese sauce. Shave the truffle on top and serve hot. – See more at: http://www.delectations.org/recipes.html#truffle-rice
Pappardelle with White Truffle This recipe serves 4. INGREDIENTS pappardelle – 450g winter white truffle – 1 (15g) olive oil – 60ml double cream – 80g cheese (Parmesan) – 10g salt – to taste pepper – to taste METHOD In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and add 30g (2 tablespoons) of salt. If using dried pasta, start cooking the pasta before beginning the sauce – it will take about 6-8mins (the same amount of time to cook the pasta as it will to make the sauce). If using fresh pasta, boil the water now, and add the pasta to the water just when finishing the sauce. It will only take 1-2mins to cook. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and cream over medium heat for about 3-5mins, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken slightly. Add in the cheese and cook for 2mins. Add the cooked pappardelle to the sauce and toss. Grind in black pepper and shave the truffle on top. Serve hot. * adapted from recipe by Jenny Steffens Hobick. – See more at: http://www.delectations.org/recipes.html#truffle-rice
Crostini with Garlic and Parsley Spread and White Truffle This recipe serves 4. INGREDIENTS bread (baguette) – 1 loaf Marzuolo white truffle – 1 (100g) butter – 30g olive oil (extra-virgin) – 30ml garlic – 1 clove fresh parsley – 1 bunch METHOD Grind the garlic and parsley in a mortar until the mixture becomes a smooth mush. Melt the butter in a pan, add the olive oil, and sauté the mixture over low heat for 10 min, stirring. Turn off the heat and set aside. Slice the bread thickly, toast and spread on the mixture. Shave the truffle on top and serve. – See more at: http://www.delectations.org/recipes.html#truffle-rice
Bruschetta and Avocado with Artichoke and White Truffle Tapenade A tapenade is rich soft pureed capers and olives in olive oil, usually flavoured with lemon juice and mustard, and often including artichoke, aubergine and pinyons. It can be made with black or green olives, each having a distinct flavour. Originally from Provence, tapenade is traditionally eaten spread on bread, in canapes, crudites, or starters such as bruschetta and crostini. This recipe serves 4. It does not include mustard, aubergine or pinyons, but adding the artichoke makes a less-tangy and softer taste. Spread over ripe avocado, it is an especially luscious combination. INGREDIENTS bread (bole) – 1 large avocado (ripe) – 1 winter white truffle – 1 baby artichoke (fresh) – 240g green olive (pitted) – 80g caper – 10g olive oil – 60ml lemon – 1 (15ml juice, 5g peel) salt – to taste pepper – to taste METHOD Rinse the capers and olives in hot water to remove the sharp-tasting brine. Baby artichokes have not developed the hairy chokes and are almost entirely edible, except for a few tough outer bracts. Trim the stems, cut in half lengthwise and steam the baby artichoke in a steamer for 20mins until tender. Remove and set aside. Save some of the liquid. Cut four slices of bread and toast. Place steamed baby artichoke, and rinsed olives and capers into an electric blender with 60ml (quarter cup) of artichoke water and whirl, gradually adding the olive oil, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a small bowl, and refrigerate for an hour for the flavours to blend. Grate in 5g of lemon peel and squeeze in 15ml of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Shave the white truffle into the tapenade and mix in completely. SERVE Cut the ripe avocado in half, remove the seed, then cut into quarters and peel the skin. Slice each peeled quarter lengthwise into two and lay on the toast. Spoon the tapenade on top of the avocado and serve. – See more at: http://www.delectations.org/recipes.html#truffle-rice
Tagliolini con Tartufi Bianchi d’Acqualagna (Tagliolini with White Truffles)
(Serves six)
Ingredients
• Fresh tagliolini (enough for 6 people)*
• Semolina flour for sprinkling
• 2 1/2 oz white truffles
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 12 tbsp (6 oz) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 6 oz)
*Fresh pasta is preferred for this dish. If you do not want to make fresh pasta at home, decent refrigerated purveyor-made fresh pasta can be purchased at gourmet food shops. For best results, do not substitute dried pasta.
Step one
Sprinkle a baking sheet with semolina and set aside. Dust a counter or other work surface lightly with semolina.
Step two
Lay the fresh tagliolini on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a dampened towel, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step three
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Step four
Gently clean the white truffles with a brush – removing any dirt on the surface – then set them aside to come to room temperature while you prepare the sauce.
Step five
Add the chicken stock to a large sauté pan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Boil to reduce the liquid by one-third.
Step six
Reduce the heat to low, add the butter, and gently move the pan back and forth on the burner until the butter melts and is incorporated into the stock. Season to taste with salt, and remove from the heat.
Step seven
Add the tagliolini to the boiling water and immediately stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the tagliolini begin to rise to the surface. Set aside about 1⁄2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta in a colander; shake the colander to drain well.
Step eight
Carefully rewarm the sauce over low heat. (If it gets too hot, the sauce could separate; if that happens, swirl in some of the reserved pasta water to re-emulsify.) Add the pasta and Parmigiano, and toss well to coat.
Step nine
Divide the pasta among six warm plates. Use a truffle slicer or a small handheld mandolin to shave the truffles over the pasta. Serve immediately.
Fettuccine with Mushrooms and White Truffles
INGREDIENTS
· 1 pound of fettuccine
· 2 bunches of long green onions, chopped
· 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
· 8 baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
· 1 cup of dried porcini mushrooms, dehydrated
· 10 white button mushrooms, sliced
· 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
· 3 Tbls of butter
· 1/2 cup of Marsala wine
· 1 cup of chicken broth
· 1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
· 1 white truffle
· 1 Tbls of white truffle oil
· 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
PREPARATIONS
· In a large saucepan sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil and butter until tender, about 2 minutes.
· Add the mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes.
· Deglaze the pan with the wine and broth.
· Simmer until slightly reduced.
· Season with pepper.
· In 6 quarts of boiling salted water cook the fettuccine until al dente.
· Drain the pasta and toss in the mushroom sauce.
· Plate and shave the white truffles on top.
· Drizzle with truffle oil and serve with the Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6 people
Truffle Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
· 1 pound of russet potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked.
· 4 Tbls of truffle butter
· 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
· 1/2 tsp of salt
· 1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
· 1/4 cup of truffle oil
PREPARATIONS
· Mash together the potatoes, butter, cream, salt and pepper.
· Drizzle the top with the truffle oil before serving.
Good site: http://www.yummly.com/recipes/chicken+white+truffles
