What to do with a jar of black truffles?

[mixmaster b]

I got a lovely jar of Italian black summer truffles (tuber aestivum) for Christmas. 3 truffles for a total of 50 gr, etruria brand. I have not cooked with truffles before and have had limited (but memorable) experience eating them.

Friday evening I am having a party...drinks and dinner...needs to be buffet style as my small SF apartment won't accommodate more than 10 for a sit down dinner...

Any ideas for recipes? Advice about how to treat them? Comments on the quality of jarred truffles vs fresh?

I was thinking a risotto, but the recipes I've seen are for white truffles. Can I just substitute?

Also, some recipes I've looked at also call for truffle oil. This seems risky to me; truffle oil is much easier to come by, and the flavor is strong. I wouldn't want to mask the flavor of the actual truffles, assuming that these are good.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[budrichard]

Black trufffles are not generally for rissotto. They are used in cooked dishes whereas white are usually shaved raw over a dish.

I have used canned/jared black truffles for roast chicken where one slices the truffle and then puts them under the skin with some in a stuffing. They can also be used to make a pate or mousse. There are lots of ways to use them.

I have been suspect of truffle oil for a number of years now after learning that there are artificial esters that may be used in such products. I had a few dishes that used truffle oil and were very strong. I now will not eat any dish made with truffle oil nor use it myself.-Dick

[qrn]

I have been suspect of truffle oil for a number of years now after learning that there are artificial esters that may be used in such products. I had a few dishes that used truffle oil and were very strong. I now will not eat any dish made with truffle oil nor use it myself.-Dick

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I read somewhere that all truffle oil is bogus and made by chemists..

Bud

[Chris Amirault]

I suggest that you do the roast chicken. It's very simple and stunning: the room will fill with the aroma of the truffles when you bring in the bird(s).

[jackal10]

Black truffles have very little flavour, unless re-inforced with truffle oil and are mainly for decoration

[ermintrude]

I read somewhere that all truffle oil is bogus and made by chemists..

Generally only the cheap ones. In the UK look at the ingredients if it includes "truffle flavoring" then it's generally bogus.

That said I like white truffle oil on baked beans, and using a cheap one works well here.

Edited December 28, 2006 by ermintrude (log)

[iriee]

try making some raviolis with the chopped truffles,,ricotta and some of the truffle juice. finish it with a little chicken stock and butter and pass them around to your guests on little asian spoons. yumm! happy new year!

[Pontormo]

I have read that the black truffles gathered during the summer are not as flavorful as those harvested in the early winter. As you might suspect, the ones brought in fresh from the field three kilometers away will be superior to anything bottled, shipped and stored.

You might plan to be flexible in preparing a menu just in case you find you are unable to use what is nonetheless a thoughtful gift from someone who knows how much you enjoy cooking. I'd plan on coating strands of the best "artisanal" dried spaghetti you can find. Olive oil or even butter, perhaps. Salt and pepper, but no cheese. Have some pre-soaked porcini, good fresh mushrooms, garlic & Parm in house just in case. ETA: Since I've only eaten pasta cooked this way, but never cooked it myself, I've had to revise this post. Consult this simple recipe from The Gilded Fork.

Probably the best thing to do if you're happy with the contents of the jar has been mentioned above: use them with a roasted chicken. I'd favor slivers tucked under the skin, reserving a tablespoon to sprinkle over top during final stage of roasting and basting. A simple gratin of thinly sliced potatoes with cream, butter and black truffles would be a good side dish.

Edited December 28, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Busboy]

Black truffles have very little flavour, unless re-inforced with truffle oil and are mainly for decoration

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Wrong, dude. You have likely been decieved by someone touting "Oregon truffles," or "summer truffles," or even "winter truffles," which are not the same. Real, expensive, French, black, truffles are pretty dang tasty. I've been shaving through a couple of expensive ounces of the things over the last week (and just now finished a reheated boudin blanc made with some of them) can confidently assert that they make life better. Much better. Particularly shaved atop a white pizza that has been further garnished with eggs fried sunny-side up.

got a lovely jar of Italian black summer truffles (tuber aestivum) for Christmas. 3 truffles for a total of 50 gr, etruria brand. I have not cooked with truffles before and have had limited (but memorable) experience eating them.

Friday evening I am having a party...drinks and dinner...needs to be buffet style as my small SF apartment won't accommodate more than 10 for a sit down dinner...

Any ideas for recipes? Advice about how to treat them? Comments on the quality of jarred truffles vs fresh?

If I were you, I would open the jar and sniff. Gently. If the first impression is that a deeper whiff would have left you in kind of a nauseus bliss, you've got some decent truffles on your hands. The first time I huffed a bag of six ounces of black truffles, I thought I'd chemically burned my nose as I might have with ammonia. Only I wanted to do it again.

If the first whiff makes you wonder what the fuss is about...you can make Pommes Anna with a layer of truffle in the middle. Actually, this works very well for good truffles as well.

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I, too have heard that truffle oil is made with fake scents manufactured in New Jersey or wherever, and loathe the few attempts at "bargain" truffle oil I have encountered. The expensive stuff (think an airline liquor bottle for $10-$20) -- whether made with real truffle shavings or just better chemicals-- rocks, though. No less a personage than Thomas Keller combines (white) truffle oil and truffles in the same dish, using the former in his risotto and then shaving the latter on top.

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Timely thread.

[ChefJohnny]

Hache the black truffles and add them at the last second to rissotto with some whipped lemon creme fraiche. Add a little truffle oil before serving. INCREDIBLE. Thats one of the most requested dishes at our restaurant, even when its NOT on the menu.

-Chef Johnny

[mixmaster b]

Thanks everyone for the very excellent ideas and advice. Exactly the expertise I was hoping for! Glad to have my expectations of these preserved fungi in line.

I decided to wait on the truffles-- do a dinner for fewer people and use them then...probably the chicken or the potatoes anna as these dishes will both be good even if the truffles are just ok. Chef Johnny’s Risotto sounds great as well.

Busboy, I was tempted to run open the bottle and stick my nose in after reading your post, but restrained myself in case there might be some additional loss of freshness/flavor since I am not going to use them right away!

Iriee, I love the ravioli idea but my get-together required something a bit easier on the cook.

For the party Friday I went with rustic Italian--Mario's lasagne bolognese, some mixed crostini to start, fra’mani salami and some nice cheese, some sauteed greens on the side. It was a nice, comforting dinner… mostly everyone loves Italian food and with the holidays it's been mainly French and traditional American. The lasagne was really tasty, though I made far too much pasta and have been eating leftovers all weekend.

I will post on the outcome of the truffle dinner when I do it!