This Jean Louis Palladin recipe for Black Truffle Potato Cakes with Black Truffle Balsamic Vinaigrette boldly features fresh black truffles and has an exquisite presentation. This decadent seven layer “cake” is made by stacking sliced boiled potatoes marinated in black truffle balsamic vinaigrette with alternating layers of thickly sliced black truffles. After baking the stacks long enough to release the wonderful flavor of the truffles, the “cake” is frosted with black truffle balsamic vinaigrette and minced black truffles.

I intended to make the recipe exactly as it was written in “Jean Louis Cooking with the Seasons”; however, I instead adapted the recipe to what seemed to make sense. The potato slices were supposed to be perfect rounds, with no cracks, cut to exact dimensions with a cookie cutter. Perhaps I cooked the potatoes too long, but there was no way those slices were going to stay together if I tried to cut them to perfect 2 inch rounds. Secondly, the cakes were supposed to cook for 10 – 12 minutes in the oven. Because the flavor of black truffles intensifies with heat, I thought the cakes needed to stay in the oven longer.  I cooked them for a good 20 minutes, and still they could have been cooked a bit more. Lastly, the recipe said to use 2 1/2 ounces of flash frozen black truffles, sliced into 1/16 inch slices. I used fresh black truffles and sliced them as directed. I used 2 ounces for two servings, which was almost double black truffle from what the recipe specified. I’ve written the recipe below based on how I prepared it and I was thrilled with the result!

Black Truffle Potato Cakes with Black Truffle Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salt water (1/4 cup coarse salt mixed with 3 quarts water – for cooking potatoes)

4 large well formed russet potatoes (about 10 ounces each and at least 2 1/4 inches wide) scrubbed well

Ice water (for cooling potatoes)

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3.5 ounces Perigord black truffles (preferably large size – 2 ounces or more per truffle)

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup canned truffle juice extra

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons good quality balsamic vinegar such as Silver Label, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia, Italy

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 ounce black truffle, finely chopped

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the potato rounds about 3 1/2 hours before the dish will be served. Add potatoes to boiling salted water and cook for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Test doneness with a skewer to prevent breaking the potatoes apart.  When the potatoes are tender, transfer them to the ice water for cooling. Reserve the hot salt water.

Process all the Black Truffle Balsamic Vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, heat a very sharp, thin-bladed knife in the hot salt water, then slice 1/8 inch slices. Submerge the knife in the hot salt water after each slice. 28 slices of uniform size will be needed to prepare four cakes. There might be unused potato. Place each slice on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Brush each slice generously on both sides with the black truffle balsamic vinaigrette, sprinkle the tops with salt and pepper and let the potato slices marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette to spoon over the top of the cakes before serving.

Before assembling the cakes, slice the truffles into 24 slices, about 1/16 inch thick. (If the truffles are smaller than 2 ounces each, slice 48 slices, making the slices thinner than 1/16 inch). Mince the scraps and less than perfect slices for “frosting” the cakes. If cut ahead of time, store the truffle slices in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

To assemble and serve, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble the cakes in a small baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil. For each cake, start with a marinated potato round. Season the top lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the potato round with one large or two smaller black truffle slices.  Continue until each cake has seven potato slices and six layers of black truffles. End each cake with potato. Brush additional vinaigrette on the top of each cake. Cover the pan with foil and bake the cakes for 20 – 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (Ideally, the truffles will be slightly cooked and softened). Heat the serving plates.

Whisk the black truffle vinaigrette and spoon 1 – 2 tablespoons over each cake. Sprinkle the reserved minced black truffle on top of each cake.  Serve immediately, providing sharp knives for cutting the cakes at the table.

It took two tries to get the recipe for foie gras hollandaise to come out correctly, but man oh man, the results are fabulous!  This luxurious sauce could be paired with almost anything: fish, duck, squab, lamb, vegetables, potatoes and who knows what else.  After my first failure where the sauce separated, I finally figured out how to make this foie gras hollandaise properly.  It’s a little tricky to just heat the egg yolks enough, but not to cook them too much before adding the foie gras butter.  Keep the heat low, and begin adding the foie gras butter mixture well before the egg yolks start to thicken.

I served the foie gras hollandaise with panko crusted tilapia, vegetables julienne, and rosemary roasted potatoes.  It was delicious!  The tilapia was dipped in egg yolk, covered with panko, and pan fried in olive oil. The vegetables were a combination of onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots, and white asparagus, and cherry tomatoes pan fried.  The potatoes were oven roasted with olive oil and fresh rosemary.  The foie gras hollandaise was the perfect sauce to tie all the flavors together.

Here is the recipe I used for the foie gras hollandaise.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons raw foie gras

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Puree the foie gras and butter in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Wisk the eggs yolks and rice vinegar in a double boiler or a bowl placed over boiling water until aerated.  Quickly begin mixing in the foie gras and butter mixture bit by bit, whisking constantly.  When all the “foie gras butter” has been incorporated, whisk in the white truffle oil.  Season the foie gras hollandaise with salt and pepper to taste.  Makes enough for 4 – 6 servings.

I adore eating caviar straight from the tin with nothing added.  No egg, no onions, no blini… just plain caviar. At the same time, I’m always looking for caviar recipes that highlight the caviar, and ideally actually add to and improve the experience of eating caviar.

I have finally found such a recipe. The basis of the recipe came from “Alfred Portale’s 12 Seasons Cookbook”. The slightly poached Bluepoint oysters served in their shell with a leek, shallot and heavy cream sauce, and topped with a generous dollop of Black River Caviar was perhaps the most delicious caviar recipe I have ever had.  The combination of ingredients was absolutely perfect.

The leeks and first stages of the cream sauce can be prepared ahead of time, leaving only the oyster shucking and poaching and final assembly for the last minute.  This caviar recipe would be perfect as a first course for any holiday or special occasion meal.

Ingredients:

2 leeks, white parts only, sliced into 1/6 inch rounds

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Fleur de sel

24 BluePoint oysters, or use Wellfleet, Kumamoto or Malpeque oysters

1 tablespoon finely minced chives

2 ounces Black River Caviar (or use another high quality osetra caviar)

Fresh tarragon or chervil sprigs for garnish

Coarse salt such as ice cream salt, for serving

Instructions:

Cook the leeks for 6 – 8 minutes or until tender, in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Drain and plunge the leeks into ice water. Drain again and set aside.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the shallots until softened, about 4 – 6 minutes. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated (about 1 tablespoon of liquid remaining). Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cream reduces slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter one piece at a time, until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened. Season with cayenne and fleur de sel. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

Working over a bowl to catch the oyster juices, hold oyster firmly in the palm of your hand using a towel to protect your palm. Insert an oyster knife into the hinge at the pointed end of the oyster. Work it in, using steady, even pressure. Pop open the shell, then run the blade around until you cut the muscle that attaches the top of the shell to the oyster. Remove the top shell. Slide knife under the oyster, finding where it is attached to the bottom shell, and cut through. Continue this with all 24 oysters. Add the oysters to the escaped oyster liquor in the bowl. Reserve the deep bottom shell and discard the top, flat shell. Wash and dry the reserved shells.

Add the reserved leeks to the cream sauce and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Add the oysters and reserved liquor (which might need to be strained if any shell particles fell into the bowl).  Cook for about 1 minute, until just heated through.  The oysters will swell just slightly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the chives.

Arrange the clean, dry shells on a bed of seaweed or rock salt. Spoon some leeks and sauce onto the shells, and set one oyster on top of the leeks.  Spoon a small amount of sauce over the tops of the oysters.  Garnish each oyster with a dollop of Black River Caviar and a sprig of tarragon or chervil.

Serve immediately.

Caviar is often associated with holiday festivities.  Here’s a little history about the origins and current production of sturgeon fish caviar.

Long associated with the indulgent lifestyle led by European monarchy and other members of Europe’s ruling classes, caviar boasts a particularly strong historic connection with the incalculably wealthy members of the Russian Imperial Court. The strength of that historic connection is only natural, as sturgeon fish caviar originating in the slightly saline waters of the Caspian Sea shared by Russia and Iran came to be not only highly prized but almost revered by the Russian Tsars and Tsaritsas, eventually becoming a significant part of their diet.

The Russians weren’t the only early caviar devotees, however. The Persians, whose country stretched across the Caspian’s sparkling southern shores, were the first to prepare and delight in sturgeon fish caviar, attributing an assortment of medicinal powers to the delicacy. In fact, the name “caviar” is derived from the word “khav-yar,” meaning “cake of power” or “cake of strength” in Persian.

As time passed, caviar came to be considered the quintessential indulgence in nearly every European culture. For example, several centuries ago, British kings reserved the consumption of sturgeon and their roe to members of the royalty. In short, this superb culinary indulgence has captured the hearts and palates of discriminating connoisseurs throughout the world for more than two thousand years.

No matter which species of sturgeon produce the roe – beluga, sterlet, osetra (also spelled ossetra) or sevruga – caviar has always been a highly coveted symbol of wealth, opulence and power surrounded by Old World traditions and mystique. Although Eastern hemisphere sturgeon are also native to the Black Sea and, to a much lesser degree, the Adriatic Sea and several Siberian and Chinese rivers, the primary source of wild sturgeon and their roe has always been the Caspian Sea.

Unfortunately, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, commercial overfishing and caviar’s exceptional popularity among the wealthy led to a precipitous decline in the Caspian’s sturgeon population. In an interesting turn of events, the American caviar industry began to burgeon at almost the same time, focusing at first on the roe of native sturgeon found in the Atlantic seaboard’s Delaware River. American caviar was abundant, especially when compared to the declining availability of roe from the Caspian Sea. In fact, the supply was so plentiful that American sturgeon fish caviar was served in bars and pubs to encourage patrons to drink more alcoholic beverages. American sturgeon roe was frequently fed to pets or even discarded.

By the late 19th century, 90% of the world’s caviar came from American sturgeon roe. American sturgeon fish caviar was exported to a large number of countries, sometimes being sold deceptively as “Russian caviar.” Sadly, history repeated itself, as it so often does. Overfishing caused the depletion of wild American sturgeon, just as it did with the sturgeon native to the Caspian Sea. As a result, commercial sturgeon fishing in the United States was banned in 1906. Eventually the Soviet Union followed suit by restricting commercial sturgeon fishing. Today, the world’s wild sturgeon population is so depleted the fish are recognized as endangered species.

The American caviar industry has, however, made a remarkable comeback from its perch on the brink of disaster. The dearth of Caspian Sea sturgeon and political unrest in Russia and Iran, coupled with refinements in modern aquaculture techniques, now lead many connoisseurs to buy caviar produced in the United States. For example, the flavorful California osetra produced by Tsar Nicoulai Caviar through its sustainable farming techniques is winning praise for its rich, clean taste and full, buttery finish.

Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, Uruguay’s Black River Caviar and Petrossian Caviar all produce superb sturgeon fish caviar worthy of the world’s most discriminating palates by successfully employing responsible, sustainable sturgeon farming methods. Thanks to producers like these, caviar’s luxury and opulence can continue to be savored despite the near-extinction of wild sturgeon.

With so many last minute things to do for Thanksgiving dinner, people are always searching for make ahead Thanksgiving recipes.  Many of the luxury foods we prepare are best cooked very close to serving time.  There are two vegetable side dishes which can be prepared ahead of time, Harticots Verts and Brussels Sprouts.  Personally, I think both of these vegetables are better when they are cooked a bit longer; therefore, the dish can be prepared the day before, refrigerated, and reheated in the oven or a skillet.

For the Brussels Sprouts, I always cook them in water before cooking them in a skillet.  The blanching process takes some of the bitter flavor which some Brussels sprouts have.  Cut the Brussels sprouts in half if desired and cook for about 5 minutes or longer (until slightly tender) in boiling, salted water.  Meanwhile, cook chopped pork or duck bacon in the skillet until crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving most of the bacon fat in the skillet.  Then saute an onion or 2 shallots in the bacon fat until golden brown and very soft.  Add the Brussels sprouts to the onions or shallots.  Cook until the sprouts are fully cooked.  If the pan gets too dry, add chicken stock once or twice to keep the vegetables moist.  Season with salt, pepper, and cumin if desired.  Return the cooked duck bacon to the pan.  Serve or let cook and refrigerate until ready to use.

I use the same recipe for the Harticots Verts, except I do not cook the beans in water first.  One the bacon is browned, and the onions are browned, I add the Harticots Verts to the skillet, add some chicken stock as needed to keep the Haricots Verts moist, and cook until the beans are tender and slightly browned.  Harticots Verts are much more tender than most larger sized green beans; but Blue Lake, or other green beans can also be used for this recipe.

This foie gras stuffing is not cooked in the bird and has an untraditional combination of ingredients.  It’s really pretty easy to prepare, but it is probably best prepared shortly before serving.  We’ve still included this recipe in our “make ahead Thanksgiving recipes” category, because it can be fully prepared ahead of time and reheated before serving.  If you plan to prepare the foie gras stuffing before serving, be sure not to cook the foie gras too much.  Otherwise, when it is reheated, the foie gras may get overcooked.  When prepared just before serving, the bread cubes (more like croutons) have a lovely crunch, which pairs well with the soft almost caramelized apples, rich foie gras, cranberries and wilted arugula.  For a more traditional, moister stuffing, simply add more jus.  When this foie gras stuffing is refrigerated and reheated, it will be much moister, and the bread cubes will be soft.  Reheating in a saute pan seemed to work just fine…

While a whole lobe of foie gras can be cut into 1 inch cubes, pieces of foie gras cut into small, but irregular pieces works fine too.  Hudson Valley’s Foie Gras Cubes are really perfect for this recipe and at $50 per pound, it’s a more economical product.

We prepared this foie gras stuffing with fresh duck breasts and used the juices from the duck breast along with some chicken stock.  This stuffing would also go well with turkey, chicken, quail, or squab.

2 pounds fresh foie gras, cut into 1-inch cubes (foie gras cubes work great)
6 medium-sized Honey Crisp or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 cups chestnuts, roasted and peeled, cut in half or quartered
5 cups arugula, stems removed
1½ cups cippolini onions, peeled and cut into 1 inch wedges
6 ½ cups foccacia bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3/4 – 1 cup roasted duck, turkey, or chicken drippings/jus
4 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons sage, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Once all the ingredients above have been prepared, put the cubed bread in a bowl and toss with the minced garlic and olive oil. Toast the bread cubes in a 450 degree oven until golden brown, 5 – 10 minutes.

Heat a very large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat. Season the chunks of foie gras with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (If the heat is too high, the fat will turn brown, which is not optimal.) Remove the foie gras from the pan, leaving about ¾ cup of the foie gras fat in the pan. Set aside any extra foie gras fat for another use. Add the onions and apples and cook until golden brown. Towards the end of the cooking time, add the chestnuts. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Wilt the arugula in the warm pan with some of the remaining fat, then add to apples, onions and chestnut mixture. Add the dried cranberries, the chunks of foie gras and the toasted bread cubes and mix well. Season with salt and pepper if needed and add the chopped herbs and duck, turkey, or chicken jus. The bread cubes will still be crisp. If a more moist stuffing is preferred, add more jus or use a high quality stock.

Serves 10 – 12.

I’m always searching for the best recipes to experience the amazing qualities of white truffles.  The heavenly fragrance and intense earthy flavor of white truffle mushrooms seems to shine best when the base is rather mild and creamy.  This recipe for White Truffle Scalloped Potatoes is one of my favorites.  It’s easy to prepare, but does need to be made just before serving.  Because white truffles should never be cooked, the dish should not be reheated.

This white truffle recipe would make an elegant side dish for Thanksgiving or any other special occasion.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, about 2 lbs, sliced thinly, about 2 mm thick
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 – 3 ounces fresh white truffle
5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions:
Add the potato slices to a large pot of boiling salted water.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring several times to make sure the potatoes are not stuck together.  Drain immediately.  Add the creme, milk and 3 tablespoons butter to a large pan or skillet.  Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the blanched potato slices, and carefully stir to make sure all the pieces of potato are covered with the cream and milk mixture.  Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the potatoes for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the broiler.  Butter a glass baking dish or large gratin dish, using the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.  Spoon half the potatoes into the baking dish, spreading evenly, then grate most of the white truffle over the hot potatoes.  Reserve a small amount of truffle to shave over the top.  Spoon the second half of the potatoes over the truffles, and top the potatoes with the grated cheese.

Broil the scalloped potatoes for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden brown.  Remove the dish from the oven, shave the remaining white truffle on top and serve.

Note: Do not leave the scalloped potatoes in the oven to keep them warm.  The white truffles should not be cooked at all, or they will lose a lot of their wonderful flavor.  This dish should be prepared just before serving.
Serves 9 – 12

This excellent foie gras recipe was submitted to our recipe contest by Jamie Brown-Miller of Napa, California. Jamie told us she makes this recipe every year and I can see why.  The combination of ingredients is unusual, the preparation is easy, the presentation is striking, and most importantly, it’s delicious!

Jamie won a $100 gift certificate to our store for her winning foie gras recipe submission.

Tangerine Seared Foie Gras on Brioche with Rum Reduction

Ingredients:

18 ounces foie gras
6 tablespoons tangerine zest
1/2 cup butter
Juice from 6 tangerines
2 cups dark rum
6 slices brioche (trimmed of crust)
6 ounces herbed goat cheese
6 basil leaves, finely chopped
Additional supreme of tangerine for garnish

Instructions:

Portion the foie gras into six equal square or rectangular slices. Press equal amounts of tangerine zest onto each side of the foie gras portions and place on a plate. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the foie gras is in the refrigerator, make the rum reduction. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the tangerine juice and rum, then bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture is reduced to a syrup, about  1/4 to 1/3 the original amount. Keep warm on a burner at its lowest heat setting until ready to use.

Cut the slices of brioche to approximately the same size as the slices of foie gras. Toast to a medium golden brown using a toaster, then spread with the goat cheese. Place each slice in the center of a salad plate or shallow soup bowl.

Heat a large skillet to high heat. Remove foie gras from refrigeration and sear each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and just set in the inside. Place one slice of seared foie gras onto each slice of brioche. Drizzle rum reduction over the foie gras and top with the supremes of tangerine and/or chopped basil. Serves 6.

A creamy risotto with freshly shaved white truffles and Parmigiano-Reggiano is certainly one of the classic white truffle recipes. Although nothing else is needed in this rich and satisfying dish, we added little squares of crispy pancetta and sauteed chanterelle mushrooms to the finished risotto just before shaving the truffles over the risotto. Additionally, we put a large seared sea scallop on top of the dish. If fresh peas or fava beans had been available, I may have been tempted to add some bright green color to the dish, but it certainly was delicious without the peas or fava beans.

There is one thing I would do differently next time. The white truffle could have been shaved more thinly, allowing each piece to have more contact with the hot risotto.

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock, homemade or high quality store bought

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced shallot

1 small clove garlic

1 1/2 inch cube pancetta, cut into tiny squares

6 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 1/2 ounces fresh white truffle

4 – 6 large sea scallops

Instructions:

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat, maintaining a slight simmer throughout the process of making the risotto.

Heat a deep, heavy saute pan to medium high and add the small squares of pancetta. Cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove the pancetta, but leave the rendered fat in the pan. Add olive oil if needed to the already hot pan, and add the minced shallots. Cooking over medium heat, cook the shallots until they are soft and slightly golden. Add the garlic to the shallots and cook just until fragrant, about one minute. Remove the shallots and garlic and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the saute pan and add the chanterelle mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms until the liquid has been released, and the mushrooms are very lightly golden. Remove the chanterelles and set aside.

Return the cooked shallots and garlic to the saute pan.  Add the Arborio rice and cook to coat it with oil, until the rice is opaque, about 2 minutes (add additional olive oil if needed).

Add the wine and cook until the wine is completely absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering chicken stock to the rice, and cook, stirring constantly, until all the stock is absorbed.  The stock should be bubbling gently as the pan is stirred.  Continue adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken stock at a time, stirring after each cup is added until all the liquid is absorbed.  Stop adding stock when the rice is al dente and the risotto is creamy. All the stock may not be used, or slightly more may be needed. The rice will take about 20 – 30 minutes to cook. Be sure not to overcook the rice, or the risotto may become gluey.

Meanwhile, sear the sea scallops in a tablespoon olive oil in a medium hot pan and cook until nicely golden brown on each side, about two or three minutes.

When the risotto is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoon of butter and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and stir vigorously. Add the crispy pancetta and the chanterelle mushrooms to the risotto. Serve the risotto in warm shallow bowls. Shave the white truffle over the risotto and top with one scallop on each plate.  Serves 4 – 6.

White truffles are ripe and fragrant, and I’ve spent a glorious weekend trying various white truffle recipes. Although white truffles pair well with a variety of foods, their unique flavor is best experienced when the white truffle is the star of the show. Mild bases such as pasta, potatoes, risotto and eggs, often combined with sharp Italian cheeses are classic pairings. White truffles are best served raw or warmed, but not cooked. Much of the intense white truffle flavor and fragrance will be lost with extended contact with heat.

One of my favorite books for truffle recipes is Rosario Safina’s “Truffles, Ultimate Luxury Everyday Pleasure”. Rosario Safina is the former President of Urbani Truffles, and has now launched his own line of 100% organic truffle products. The da Rosario product line includes real truffle oil (made with organic real truffles and organic olive oil), truffle salt, truffle butter, truffle honey, and now truffle mayonnaise. The following white truffle recipe was inspired by one of many  elegant truffle recipes in Rosario’s excellent cook book.

Ingredients:

One large rectangular or circular focaccia, approximately 8 x 8 inches.

5 ounces Taleggio cheese, ripe, but not overly ripe (or use creamy Ribiola cheese if a milder cheese is preferred)

1/2 ounce fresh white truffle

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a serrated knife, split the focaccia in half horizontally. Slice the Taleggio (or Robiola) and spread it on the bottom half of the focaccia. Replace the top piece of focaccia. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 3 – 5 minutes or until the cheese is just beginning to melt and the focaccia is warm throughout.  Remove the top piece of focaccia and shave the white truffles over the melted cheese (if the cheese is too melted, it will be difficult to remove the top). Replace the top piece of focaccia over the shaved truffles.  Cut the focaccio in squares or wedges.

This white truffle focaccia can be served as an appetizer, or as a sandwich accompanied by a green salad and/or bowl of soup.  If white truffles are not in season, the same recipe can be used, but substitute white truffle oil for the the freshly shaved white truffles. Drizzle about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of pure truffle oil over the top of the focaccia.