NATS Truffle Recipes

Most issues of the NATS newsletter, "The North American Truffler", have recipes; surf through them for some real gems.

Additionally, here are some links to a few of the many truffle recipe sites on the internet:
The Mycological Society of San Francisco
The Cottage Kitchen
Truffes-de-Provence
Oregon White Truffles
The Truffle Zone


Truffled Potato Salad
Matt Trappe

A great dish to bring to a potluck. Preparation begins a day (preferably two) before serving.

Dice about 2 lbs red potatoes, rinse off starch, boil about 10 minutes until they are cooked but not mushy. Drain and rinse in cold water until cooled. Drizzle lightly with oil (I like sesame oil but you can use olive, canola, or 10W-30). Finely grate about 15-20 Oregon white truffles over the potatoes, mixing them in periodically. Cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours - this is a crucial step because the aroma of the truffles must infuse into the potatoes. Just prior to serving, mix in about a tablespoon of finely chopped raw onion, 2 or 3 squirts of dijon mustard, 1 or 2 blops of mayo or miracle whip, black pepper, and maybe some tahini dressing (Annie's Goddess or equivalent) if it's handy. Garnish with Lobaria and serve.


Truffled Brie
Matt Trappe

Another great dish to bring to a potluck (with crackers and a bottle of wine, of course). Again, preparation begins a day (preferably two) in advance.

Slice a wedge of brie in half parallel to the cutting surface so it opens up like an oyster, exposing the interior. Finely grate 5-10 Oregon white truffles on both sides, fold back together like a sandwich, wrap in saran plastic and store in the fridge for 24-48 hours before serving.


Truffle Puffs
Frank Evans

This recipe came to me while my wife Karan and I were eating clam puffs at a restaurant on the Oregon Coast. I tried an experimental batch on some friends one Sunday afternoon and I have been pleased with it ever since. I have made a batch with a variety of truffles in different puffs, allowing comparison of the flavors.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 piece of bread, toasted and crumbed
1 shallot, chopped fine
fresh scallions
fresh parsley
1 walnut sized truffle (various types), chopped fine
filo dough

Saute the shallots lightly in a little butter. Add in the scallions, the parsley and the truffles as you remove the saute from the heat. Mix this into the cream cheese and the bread crumbs and set aside as the filling for the pastry puffs.

Separate a sheet of filo dough (about 8 layers worth). Cut the sheet into three inch squares. Drop about a tablespoonful of the filling into the center of each square. Fold the corners in to the center to just cover the filling.

Bake in a very hot oven (475-525 degrees) to just brown the flake pastry and heat the filling (2-3 minutes).


Melanogaster Butter
Matt Trappe

An interesting spread for french bread.

Melt a stick of butter, shave (scrape?) in a few Melanogasters (perhaps 1-3, depending on their size), stir in and simmer briefly. Pour into a teacup and refrigerate overnight. To serve, pop solidified butter out of teacup upside down onto a plate using a spatula. The Melanogaster will have sunk to the bottom, and as served should form a dark layer on top of the butter dome. This spread has an intriguing earthy flavor best appreciated on a mild-flavored bread.


Truffled Game Hens With Sauce Le Gra'n Marmo't
    -- Norene Wedam

Ingredients:
Game Hen(s) 1/2 hen per person
Truffles: Tuber gibbosum - 3 (or more) the size of walnuts (for two hens)
Butter: 4 T softened to near melted (for basting)
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Thaw the game hens early in the day. In the afternoon, salt and pepper 
the cavities and the skin. Then, shave the truffles to thin slices and 
slip many good slices between the breast and the skin of the bird, be 
generous. Tie the legs together and let sit in the refrigerator for 
several hours before roasting time.

Roasting:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and roast the bird(s) in a covered pan 
for 1 hour basting with the melted butter every 15 minutes. Increase the 
heat to 400 degrees and roast uncovered for an additional 15 minutes to 
brown the birds, basting frequently.

Serving:
Divide the birds in half through the breast bone and serve. Lay on some 
Sauce le Gra'n Marmo't (see below) and add a generous amount of the sauce 
on the side. Accompany with steamed fresh asparagus spears and a pasta 
dish (suggestion: herbed angel hair).

Sauce Le Gra'n Marmo't (Ground Hog's Day Sauce) Ingredients: 1/4 C. of chopped Tuber gibbosum truffles (use the rejected slices from the above recipe as some of this) 2/3 C. Sour cream 2 tsp. Dijon mustard (Grey Pupon) 1/4 C. Pan drippings or broth from the main course 1/4 C. Dry white wine Preparation: Place chopped truffles, sour cream and mustard in a small (tiny) sauce pan. Smash the truffles into the other ingredients and mound up in the pan bottom. Set aside while the main course is cooking (at least one hour). When the main course is done, add the drippings (or broth) and the wine, to the prepared ingredients. Stir well and heat over low heat. Do not boil. Option: If a thicker sauce is needed (it should be thin), add arrowroot (no more than 1/2 tsp.) and continue heating until it thickens.


LEBERWURST
    -- Norene Wedam
2 lbs. fresh good quality beef liver, sliced
6 bacon slices (country cured)
1/4 large sweet onion, chopped
Grease a 9 X 13 inch pan with bacon
grease. Lay the liver slices on the
bottom of the pan. Top the liver with
the bacon slices and the chopped onions.
Sprinkle with:
1  crumbled bay leaf
1/8  t. ground clove
1/4  t. ground sage
1    t. salt (non-iodized)
1/4  t. celery seed
1/4  t. allspice
1/8  t. ground ginger (additional spices or larger quantities as you like)
1/4  C. minced truffle
Lightly sprinkle with garlic powder, red
and black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for
one hour, keeping a small amount of water
in the bottom of the pan to prevent
scorching. Remove from the oven and
cool. Drain, but reserve the liquid. Cut
all ingredients in one inch cubes and
grind together. Add the minced truffle.
Moisten with reserved liquid to achieve
preferred consistency. Press into a crock
or glass container and seal tightly to
prevent discoloring. Refrigerate.