The Trouble With Truffles
Truffles first appeared in the fourth century BCE writings of Theophrastus of Greece. During the classical period, Italy produced 2 kinds of truffles; Black Truffles and White Truffles, which were highly prized for their ability to absorb the spices used in cooking. Eaten rarely during the Middle Ages in Europe, truffles again became popular during the Renaissance and were even honored at the court of King Francis I of France. During the 17th century in France, truffles became wildly popular when chefs abandoned their reliance on heavy spices and began to experiment with the "natural" flavors of truffles again. In the United States, truffles were first introduced by Urbani Tartufi in the 1940's and 20 years later were so popular that he was the richest man in New Jersey. To this day, the Urbani's supply 80% of the world's market with truffles.
Today, there are a number of different varieties of truffles including the White Truffle, Black Truffle, Chinese Truffle and Summer Truffle. Although truffles are grown in United States, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK they are still not harvested in large enough quantities to bring down the cost of this little gem. And although specially trained pigs are still used to hunt truffles; more often than not, what's required is a trained eye and truffle hunting dogs. This is a long and labor-intensive process which further adds to the cost of truffles.
Originally gathered in the wild, truffles are one of the few food items that isn't farmed, but rather gathered. Truffles are grown only in France under oak trees in what are called "truffle fields". These areas are seeded with acorns to produce large areas that are conducive to the growth of truffles. Truffle producing oak trees were first planted in 1847 by Auguste Rousseau, who then began gathering large quantities of truffles. In the 20th century, the mass exodus of labor required to hunt the truffles combined with the ruination of the land caused by WWI and WWII combined to turn these truffle fields into wild areas again. On top of that, the fields planted in the late 19th century stopped producing large quantities of truffles. Once used by virtually all levels of society, the truffle has become a symbol of those rare delicacies only enjoyed by the wealthy.
There's good news amongst all the bad though. It turns out truffle oil, butter, salt and paste all add that delicious hint of mushroomy goodness on at a price that's within everybody's budget. Some great ways to add this wonderful flavor to your meals is by adding truffle paste to risotto or mashed potatoes. Popcorn and red meat get a kick out of truffle salt while truffle oil enlivens anything from steamed veggies to eggs. And of course truffle oil makes a wonderful dressing or vinaigrette. And just for fun, why not try truffle butter on pasta or toast.
And now that your mouth is watering for that unique mushroom taste, why not try some great recipes from Recipe4living such as Stuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes with Ham, Mushrooms, and Gruyere Cheese by Wolfgang Puck.
In winter, when you want to eat something that warms, fills, and satisfies you, a stuffed baked potato can be more welcome than the finest caviar. It makes a perfect companion to grilled or broiled steak or other meat, poultry, or seafood. And, depending on the potato’s size and what you mix in, it can become — to use an overused phrase that really does make sense in this case — a meal in itself.
Once you’ve tried this recipe, you’ll agree that the little extra effort is worth it. Then, start using your imagination to vary the stuffing with sausage or smoked fish, other seasonal vegetables, different cheeses, or whatever else inspires you.
Ingredients
6 large baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
Rock salt
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 lb. thinly sliced cooked ham, cut into julienne strips 1 inch long
1/4 lb. button mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and thinly sliced
Granulated salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C. crème Fraiche or sour cream
8 oz. shredded Gruyere, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the potatoes on a cutting board. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, score a lid shape on the top of each potato about a third of the way down, cutting into the potato about 1/8 inch all the way around.
Spread a bed of rock salt about 1/4 inch thick on a baking tray large enough to hold the potatoes without touching. Place the potatoes lid sides up on the rock salt. Bake the potatoes until they are tender enough to be pierced easily with a wooden skewer, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, leaving the oven on, and let the potatoes cool slightly on the bed of rock salt.
Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot enough to flow freely, add 2 Tbs. of the butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the ham and mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the ham and mushrooms to a small mixing bowl and set aside. Holding each hot potato with a kitchen towel, cut off the lid with a sharp knife, following the scoring mark. Using a sharp-edged Tbs., scoop the flesh from the potatoes and the lids, leaving a wall about 1/4 inch thick, transferring the potato flesh to a large mixing bowl; set aside. Return the potato shells and lids to the baking tray with rock salt and return to the hot oven, leaving the oven door open, to keep the potato shells and lids warm.
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and season with salt and generously with pepper. Add the crème fraiche or sour cream and the remaining butter and continue mashing until thoroughly blended. Stir in the ham, mushrooms, and 2 ounces of the cheese.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 500 degrees. Carefully spoon the potato mixture back into each potato shell; the mixture will mound above the rim of each potato. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the filling. Leave the lids unfilled, placing them around the side of the tray.
Return the baking tray to the oven and bake until the potatoes are heated through and the cheese has melted, 7-10 minutes. To further brown the cheese, briefly use the broiler, keeping close watch to prevent burning.
Carefully transfer the potatoes to a heated serving platter or individual plates. Place the lids on top of the potatoes at an attractive angle, partially inserting an end into the filling to secure each lid. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Other Great Mushroom Recipes
It's time to dust off your cooking skills and get into the meaty, earthy taste of mushrooms. And if you're lucky enough to get a real truffle some time, make sure to savor its bold and flavorful taste. Have a tasty week.
