January is the Oregon Truffle Festival and their annual dinner...an event that we consider every year asking ourselves: "should we" or "shouldn't we". But with dinner prices at $160/person we always decide "maybe next year".
Just imagine my pure delight when Shirley Freeman walked into the office a week or so ago carrying a large tray filled with black and white Oregon truffles that Doug Moore had given her! With a generous spirit, Shirley was sharing the truffles. Steven and I had the good fortune to be blessed with 2 large Oregon Black Truffles and a handful of Oregon White Truffles. What a treat! What a truffle feast followed at the Taylor house!
After letting the truffles ripen for a couple of days, we placed them in a bed of raw rice as a way of preserving them. But, of course, we couldn't resist preparing several of them in various recipes, including the following:
Scrambled Eggs Infused with Truffle Flavor
Fill a quart glass jar with uncooked eggs still in their shell. Add a White Oregon Truffle. Close the lid on the jar. Let sit in the refrigerator for a week. Scramble the eggs with a little milk or cream for divinely truffle infused scrambled eggs.
Truffle and Bourbon Sauce (from Jack Czarnecki's Joe's Book of Mushroom Cookery - we prefer this flavorful sauce with pork or beef )
1/2 truffle, fresh or canned, sliced
bourbon, just enough to cover truffle, preferably Wild Turkey
1 1/2 cups rich veal stock
1 tablespoon Chinese oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon arrowroot mixed with 1/4 cup water
- Cover truffle with bourbon. Let sit at room temperature for several days in a sealed jar.
- Combine the stock, oyster sauce, and soy sauce and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the truffle and about 1 tablespoon of the bourbon. Thicken with arrowroot and serve.
Spaghetti with Truffles (from Jack Czarnecki's Joe's Book of Mushroom Cookery - we added scallops to Jack's pasta and cream sauce)
1/2 to 1-1/2 pounds spaghetti (depending if used as accompaniment or main course)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 pound bay scallops, lightly cooked
whole white truffle
- Cook the spaghetti in 2-3 quarts of salted water
- Combine the flour and butter in a saute pan, and stir together over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- While stirring, add the cream and milk. Stir until it becomes thick. Add some salt and cayenne pepper.
- Pour sauce over the spaghetti, tossing together.
- Add the scallops and toss again.
- Grate the fresh truffle directly over the pasta dish. Toss again and serve.
Comments