Recipes

• Quantity: 4 to 6 persons
• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 3 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of white truffle oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt (fleur de sel)
• A pinch of black pepper
• 900 grams of asparagus washed and chopped

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix the white truffle oil, olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper; set aside or refrigerate for later use.

Note: If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before use.

Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted water for about 3 minutes or until tender; do not overcook. Remove from heat, cool under cold running water and drain well.

Cover the asparagus with a small layer of truffle vinaigrette. Serve the asparagus on a platter or on individual plates.

• Quantity: 16 portions
• Preparation time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

• Crostini (see recipe below)
• 230 grams of goat cheese
• Truffle oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme leaves

Preparation

• Prepare the crostini and reserve them for later.
• When serving, cover each slice of crostini with a small layer of goat cheese. With a dropper or teaspoon, pour 3 or 4 drops of truffle oil on each slice of toast.
• Sprinkle black pepper over the preparation and garnish with a few thyme leaves.

Crostini

• 24 baguette slices of approximately ½ centimeter diameter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently rub the previously cut garlic clove. Allow to cool before adding the toppings.

• Quantity: 4 persons

Ingredients

• 16 large raw shrimp
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup white truffle oil
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Preheat the grill (oil the grill to prevent the shrimp from sticking).
• Peel and gut the shrimp, leaving the tails on. With a sharp knife, cut the shrimp along the inner curve until about halfway through (almost through), leaving the tails very firm. Flatten the shrimp to give them a "butterfly" shape. Place the shrimp in a shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil; cover and refrigerate for later use.
• In a medium bowl, combine the white truffle oil, lemon juice, onion and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• When everything is ready to cook, season the shrimp with a little salt and pepper. Place the shrimp on the hot grill and cook for about 2 minutes on one side. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute or until the shrimp have an opaque center (cut to test). Remove from grill.
• To serve, arrange the shrimp (cut side up) on a plate. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette. Pour the remaining vinaigrette into a small bowl and place on the table to spread.

The truffle elevates this potato gratin to new heights - a real treat!

• Quantity: 8 persons
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 230 grams of very fresh Fontina cheese
• 85 grams of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in slices of about 1/3 cm.
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups crème fraîche (crème fraîche)
• 1 tablespoon white truffle oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs of choice (thyme, basil, rosemary or a combination of these)

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Butter a baking tray. Remove the rind and grate the Fontina cheese with a hand grater.
• Place half of the potatoes, partially covering each other, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. With a rubber spatula, spread half of the crème fraîche over the potatoes. Spread half of the cheese over the crème fraîche. Form a second layer in the same manner using the remaining ingredients.
• Cook the potato gratin in the center of the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 180 °C and cook for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes feel tender when pierced with a knife. The potatoes will have a golden brown coating on top.

Note: Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil if they brown too much. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Note: The gratin can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Cool, cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat, covered with foil, in a preheated oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle the truffle oil over the preparation and sprinkle with the herbs just before serving.

• Quantity: 4 persons
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 ½ to 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 bunches of fresh chives
• 1 cup of fresh, well compacted parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 cup of Arborio rice*.
• 3 to 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil, and a little more for seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 small black truffle, very thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation

• In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth over medium-high heat.
• In a small pot boil salted water. With the boiling water, cook the scallions and parsley for 15 to 20 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse in cold water. Dry the herbs carefully with paper towels, then chop and set aside.
• In a large 4-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until the onions soften (do not brown the onions).
• Add the rice. With a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute making sure all the grains are well coated (toasting the rice in melted butter prevents it from getting too soft). Add the hot chicken broth (½ cup at a time), stirring constantly. Wait until each portion of broth is almost completely absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. Save ¼ cup of the broth to add at the end. Stir constantly to prevent sticking.

Note: The risotto does not need continuous attention during its 18-minute cooking time. It is only necessary to check the pot every couple of minutes and stir a little so that it does not stick, then add more broth.

• After about 18 minutes, when the rice is tender but still firm, add the reserved broth. The rice is ready when it is tender but firm to the bite. Turn off the heat and immediately add the butter, herbs, 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring vigorously to combine all the ingredients with the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: To test the consistency of the risotto, scoop a small spoonful into a bowl and gently shake from side to side. The risotto should spread gently at its own pace. If the rice does not move, it is still too dry, so add more broth. If a pool of liquid forms around the rice, too much stock has been added. Remove some of the liquid with a spoon or simply leave the risotto for a few seconds longer off the heat to absorb the excess stock.

Transfer the risotto to hot plates and serve immediately, garnished with the cheese, truffle oil and remaining truffle slices (optional).

Risotto label

In Italy, risotto is served stacked, hot, in the center of individual hot bowls.

Among the myths associated with risotto, there is one that says that it should be eaten as hot as possible, as soon as it comes out of the pot.

Unlike pasta, risotto tastes best when it has been on your plate for a minute or so. When Italians eat risotto, they usually spread it on their plate from the center to the edges, to dissipate some of the steam.

With a fork or spoon, push the cooked rice grains gently to the edge of the plate, trying to eat from the outside.

Continue spreading from the center and eating from the edges of the circle. This will keep the risotto warm while enjoying the rest of the dish.