This recipe is ideal for either summer black truffles or Burgundy truffles.  In this preparation, the truffles soak up the juice from the steak and become warm and softened.  Since summer truffles are only a fraction of the cost of winter truffles, you can be generous with the quantity of truffles used.  We used French summer truffles for this recipe because French summer truffles tend to have a more robust flavor than Italian summer truffles.

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

Two 1.5-pound aged prime porterhouse steaks

coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup Cognac or other brandy

4 – 8 ounces French summer black truffle (or Burgundy truffles)

Instructions:

Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.  Season both sides of the steaks with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  The steaks can be grilled, broiled, or cooked in a skillet. (If the steaks are cooked in a skillet, reserve the juices for the sauce).  For rare or medium rare steaks, the cooking time should be approximately 10 – 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks and the temperature of the grill, stove, or broiler.  If using a meat thermometer, 120 degrees indicates rare, and 125 degrees for medium rare.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the summer truffles using a sharp knife, mandoline, or truffle slicer.

Saute the shallots in a skillet over medium high heat in 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil until soft and slightly golden brown.  Add the beef stock and cook until reduced almost to a glaze.  Add the Cognac and immediately set fire to the sauce.  Cook for 1 – 2 minutes over medium heat, then gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until the butter is just incorporated and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Line a pan with the sliced truffles and set aside until the steaks have finished cooking.  When the steaks are rare or medium rare, remove them from the heat source, and place them on top of the layer of truffles.  Cover the pan with foil, and let the steak rest for 10 minutes, turning once after the first 5 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and slice the meat.  Arrange the steak slices on each plate, being sure to serve some of the filet portion of the steak to each guest.  Top the steak with a spoonful of the Cognac shallot reduction, and a generous serving of the juice soaked, warm truffles.  Serve with mashed potatoes (enhanced with white or black truffle oil or truffle butter if you desire), and a green vegetable such as asparagus, sugar snap peas, or green beans.

We want to hear from you!  You can win a free truffles cookbook just for sharing your thoughts with us. As we are steadily building up our database of luxury food articles and recipes for foie gras, truffles, charcuterie and caviar, we would like to know what you think.  Do you prefer exquisite but complex recipes?  Do you want more recipes that can be made quickly, using mostly the ingredients you already have on hand?  Have you tried one of our recipes but believe it could be improved?  Do you want to know more about the origins of luxury foods?  What can we do to improve our content?  Please let us know!

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This recipe for Monkfish Wrapped in Black Truffles and Pancetta with Truffle Sauce is exceptional.  This recipe is one of the least time consuming and least complicated Jean-Louis Palladin recipes we have ever prepared.  Usually when we prepare recipes from his book “Cooking with the Seasons” we spend anywhere from one to two days preparing the recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/4 oz fresh black truffle, coarsely chopped

• 3 Tablespoons lobster or chicken consomme or stock

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Monkfish:

• 1 1/2 oz black truffle

•6 oz pancetta, sliced thin

• 2 (10 – 12 oz) skinless fillets of monkfish

• Freshly ground pepper

• 2 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon olive oil

• 1/2 oz black truffles for garnish

Start the sauce: Cream the butter in a food processor. Add the truffles and continue processing until smooth. Cover truffle butter and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

To finish the dish and serve: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice 1 1/2 oz of truffles paper-thin. Set aside. For the garnish, julenne 1/2 oz of truffles.

Cut the monkfish fillets in half crosswise to form 4 equal portions. Season generously on both sides with pepper. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a very large skillet over high heat, 2 – 3 minutes. Add the fish pieces and cook 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels; let cool about 2 minutes.

Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. Now prepare each portion of monkfish as follows: Cover all surfaces of each portion, except the very ends, with 1/4 of the reserved truffle slices; then wrap fish crosswise with 1/4 of the pancetta slices, sealing truffle slices against the fish and leaving ends of fish uncovered; ends of the pancetta slices should be underneath the fish. Once all fish portions are prepared, transfer them, seam side down, to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven just until the fish is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; do not overcook. Heat the serving plates in the oven for the last 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, finish the sauce. To do this, combine the reserved chilled truffle butter with the consomme or stock in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until the butter is melted, whisking constantly; season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

When the monkfish is cooked, cut each portion in half crosswise with a sharp knife; arrange 2 of the halves on each heated serving plate and spoon 2 Tablespoons sauce in between. Garnish with the julienne truffles. Serve immediately.

This recipe is a simple classic for fresh black truffles, known as Poulet Demi-Deuil, or Chicken in Half Mourning. This recipe is usually prepared with chicken, however, we prefer the taste of Cornish game hen. Black truffles are best when cooked with some form of fat, so if the skin is very lean, baste the breasts with butter a few times during the cooking process. If you are using chicken, you will probably need to double or triple the recipe, since the chicken will be much larger.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cornish game hen (or double the recipe for chicken)

• 1 oz fresh Perigord black truffle, wiped clean and sliced thin

• Salt and pepper

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in half

• 1 tablespoon Madeira

• 1 teaspoon cognac

Instructions

Use your fingers to gently pull the skin from the breast, legs, and thighs of the Cornish game hen without tearing the skin. Slip the truffle slices under the skin, covering the breast and legs completely. Shake a small amount of salt and pepper inside the game hen before trussing it tightly with kitchen string. Wrap the hen in plastic and refrigerate overnight to allow the truffles to flavor the meat.

Rub ½ tablespoon butter on the outside of the bird, then cover with salt and pepper. Rub the cut side of the garlic and then the remaining butter on the inside a small casserole just large enough to hold the bird (casserole should have a lid). Place the hen in the casserole and add the Madeira and cognac. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.  Keep the breast moist, adding butter if necessary.

Pommes Sarladaise, Sarladais-style potatoes cooked in duck or goose fat with black truffles is one of the most satisfying dishes I have ever had.  This style of cooking potatoes in goose or duck fat is done all over the Perigord region in France and can be found on almost every menu in the town of Sarlat.  Sarlat is a medieval town, known for it’s wonderful market.  The Sarlat market is the place to go to get fresh truffles or foie gras, or any other form of charcuterie.  It’s an amazing display  of  French luxury foods that every connoisseur should experience at least once!

The Market in Sarlat, The Perigord, France

Pommes Sarladaises with Perigord Black Truffles:
2 lbs. Russet Potatoes
1 large Minced Garlic Clove
5 to 6 Tablespoons Goose or Duck Fat
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
Salt and Pepper
1.5 oz. Fresh Black Perigord Truffles cut into matchsticks

Peel and blanch the whole potatoes for about 2 to 3 minutes maximum. Remove and pat dry. If the potatoes are small, cut them in 3/8 inch slices, if they are larger, cut them into 3/4 inch pieces. In a large pan, over high heat, add two tablespoons fat (we used goose fat, but duck is great too). Carefully add the potatoes to the very hot melted fat. Reduce the heat, and stir often (gently) until the potatoes start looking slightly golden or when the fat is gone. Add some salt and two more tablespoons fat and cook until golden light brown. Add the garlic, the chopped parsley and one (or two) tablespoon(s) fat. Stir for a minute, add the truffles, then stir for another minute or so, and add salt and pepper if needed. Voila! Serve with the Truffle Omelette, or with Duck Confit.