French food recipes often call for veal stock and this is the best recipe I’ve ever found.  This rich and flavorful veal stock is made with five pounds of veal bones and simmers for 24 hours to fully develop the flavor of the stock. The recipe is from “Terra”, a cookbook by Hiro Sone and Lisa Doumani published by 10 Speed Press, probably my all-time favorite cookbook!  I’ve made about half the recipes and every one has been good!

This veal stock recipe makes about 7 cups of stock.  I always make the full recipe and freeze leftover stock in 1 cup portions.  I use this stock for numerous French food recipes, including Tournedos Rossini, Ragout of Sweetbreads, Mushrooms, Prosciutto, and White Truffle Oil (also a Terra recipe), and Foie Gras Lucullus (foie gras with black truffles).

Ingredients:

5 lbs. veal bones, cut into 2 – 4 inch pieces

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 bulb garlic, halved crosswise (do not peel)

1 cup water

3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons black pepper corns

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup tomato paste

3 ripe tomatoes, haved

Instructions:

Put the veal bones in a large roasting pan and roast until golden brown, about 30 – 45 minutes. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Add the wine to the roasting pan set over medium heat, and deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the liquid to the stockpot.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and sauté until golden brown, about 6 – 8 minutes.  Add the vegetables to the pot, deglaze the pan with the water, and add the liquid to the stockpot. Fill the stockpot with enough water to cover the veal bones.  Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that develops.

Add all the remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer.  Cook for at least 12 hours, but preferably 24 hours.  Keep adding hot water to maintain the water level, which you will need to do 4 – 6 times.

Strain veal stock through a fine mesh sieve into a smaller pot and cook over high heat until reduced to about 7 cups (if there is only 7 cups of liquid at this point, there is no need to cook the stock further). Sit the pan of stock in a bowl of ice water to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or place in freezer for about one to two hours). Remove the layer of congealed fat on top.  Store veal stock in the refrigerator for 3 days or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Our recipe for Tournedos Rossini takes this already decadent classic dish made of filet mignon, seared foie gras and fresh black truffles to another level of indulgence.  This divine dish is made with Australia’s finest 100% Wagyu beef filet mignon, a homemade veal stock which simmers for 24 hours (rendering an intensely flavored stock as the base for the demi-glace sauce), fresh Perigord truffles, perfectly seared foie gras, served on a creamy white truffle celery root puree.

One might think this dish could be too rich to consume.  After all, Blackmore 100% Wagyu beef has a marbling score close to Japanese Kobe Beef, and is so rich and tender, it almost melts in your mouth.  Amazingly enough, even with the addition of buttery foie gras and a rich black truffle infused demi glace, the overall dish does not seem excessively heavy.  It’s rich, satisfying, and wonderfully delicious.

Tournedos Rossini is typically served on a piece of toasted bread or brioche. To make this classic version, simply omit the celery root puree and use the toasted bread as the base of the dish instead.

Ingredients:

Two 6-oz Blackmore 100% Wagyu Beef filet mignon steaks, at room temperature

Two 2-oz slices foie gras

1/2 ounce fresh black truffle

1 cup veal stock, preferably home-made

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup minced shallots

1/2 cup Madera wine

1 small bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 for the sauce, 2 for garnish

1/2 teaspoon white truffle balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced

Celery root puree or two pieces of toasted bread

Instructions:

If using homemade veal stock, begin preparing the stock at least 24 hours in advance.  (veal stock recipe).  If serving the dish with celery root puree, prepare the puree prior to making the sauce and keep warm or gently reheat at serving time.

To make the sauce, melt a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat until translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add the Madera wine to the shallots and cook until the wine is reduced by half and is somewhat thickened.  Add the bay leaf, thyme, and veal stock and cook until reduced by half again, leaving about 3/4 cup of sauce in the pan.  Add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  Slice the black truffle thinly with a truffle shaver or sharp knife and set aside.  Whisk in the cold, cubed butter to the sauce a few pieces at a time. When the butter has been incorporated into the sauce, add the truffle slices.  Keep the sauce warm over a double boiler for at least 30 minutes, allowing the black truffle flavor to permeate the sauce. Alternatively, allow the sauce to sit, covered, for 30 minutes, then gently reheat when ready to serve the dish.

Heat a frying pan to medium. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in the pan. Sprinkle the Wagyu Beef filet mignon with sea salt and pepper.  Add the steaks to the pan and cook on each side about 2 minutes or until the steaks are rare.  Set aside and cover with foil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the foie gras. Sear the foie gras in a frying pan over medium heat, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.  Set foie gras on a paper towel.

To serve, place about 1/2 cup celery root puree in the middle of a heated plate. Place the filet mignon on top of the celery root puree and top the filet with a piece of seared foie gras.  Spoon the warm sauce and black truffles over the foie gras and steak, allowing a pool of sauce to remain in the plate.  Garnish with fresh thyme.

Black truffles are at their prime in mid February and this recipe for Steamed Lobster with Perigord black truffle butter is the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner for two. The flavor of Perigord black truffles is an exquisite pairing with fresh, succulent lobster. The lobster shells can be used to make lobster stock. Simply save the water in which the live lobsters were steamed, add the shells and additional water, along with a carrot, onion, bay leaf, and any other seasoning of your choice.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)

1 ounce fresh Perigord Black Truffle

1 1/2 tablespoons water

3/4 tablespoon Truffle Juice Extra

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Two live 2-pound Maine lobsters

Instructions:

Heat the water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk a few pieces of butter into the water until the butter melts into a creamy liquid. Continue adding the butter, little by little, whisking vigorously after each addition. It is important that the butter does not get too hot, or it will get oily and separate. When all the butter has been added, and the mixture is creamy, add the truffle juice and salt. Shave the truffles very thin and add to the butter sauce. Let the truffles rest in the hot butter sauce, allowing the truffle flavor to be released. The sauce can be carefully reheated, or can be kept warm over a pan of hot water or in a double boiler.

To steam the lobsters, put about 1 inch water in a large pot and bring the water to a boil. Add the live lobsters to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Remove the lobsters from the pot, and split each lobster lengthwise with a heavy knife. Clean the body of the lobster under hot water. Place the lobster on the serving plates and spoon some of the truffle butter over the tail of the lobsters. Serve the remaining truffle butter in a small cup on the side.

There are only a few caviar recipes I’ve found which actually add to the taste of the caviar, and this is one of them.  This mild egg yolk and whipped cream custard with fresh herbs is a perfect complement to high quality caviar such as Black River Caviar.  We tried this custard with both the Siberian Caviar from Black River Caviar, as well as their new Russian Caviar.  California Caviar Company sent us some samples of their Russian Caviar, so we tried that as well.  Though the herbed custard is rich, serving a trio of custards with three different types of caviar would make a striking presentation. Only a small amount of custard should be served with each type of caviar, about 1 1/2 ounces of custard with a teaspoon of caviar.  This recipe for the herbed custard will make 6 – 8 small custard cups or 4 larger custard cups. The recipe can easily be doubled for a larger group.

Serving the custard on a square of toasted brioche bread with a dollop of caviar on top is another serving option which is equally delicious.

Ingredients:

 1/4 cup heavy cream

3 large eggs yolks

1 tablespoon dry vermouth

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon minced flat leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

50 grams Black River Caviar  (Siberian Caviar or Russian Caviar)

Chives for garnish

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.

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