Truffles are a wonderful luxury that we usually get to sample only in top restaurants or if we do get it at home, it is an occasional splurge. There are, however, affordable ways to infuse the truffle flavor into our meals. The truffle products that can always be found my pantry are truffle salt and truffle oil.
Recently, I have discovered a new product line, da Rosario, featuring organic truffle products, such as black and white truffle oil, truffle butters and seasonings, and even an Acacia honey with white truffles. These products come directly from Italy’s Umbrian Valley and, unlike many other truffle products, these are made with real organic truffles. da Rosario is available online at Amazon.com and Earthy.com, and at gourmet retailers throughout the country.
I was fortunate to try the da Rosario Black Truffle oil and I thought it was the best truffle oil I have ever used. I was very happy that da Rosario truffle oil did not have the strong and slightly bitter taste of my regular truffle oil. In fact, I found it to be more delicate and pure, with a natural earthy truffle flavor and a wonderful sweet finish. For me, this is the perfect truffle oil.
A truffle oil is wonderful to add to mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, scrambled eggs, or roast chicken. Spring vegetables such as asparagus can be drizzled with truffle oil to create amazing side dishes. I created a new recipe featuring da Rosario Black Truffle Oil, a Truffled Pimento Polenta with Veal Scallops.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
8 tablespoons polenta
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pimentos, chopped
2 tablespoons truffle oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 thin veal scallops
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons truffle oil
Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water in a pot to boil. Add salt and then gradually add polenta. Cook polenta whisking continuously, until it thickens. Take off the heat and whisk Parmesan cheese and butter in, until the butter melts. Mix in pimentos and truffle oil. Let the polenta rest while the veal is cooking.
In a shallow dish, mix flour, salt, and scallops. Pound the veal scallops and drench in the flour mixture. In the skillet, heat butter and oil. Cook the veal for about 2 minutes on one side, turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In a separate skillet, add white wine, bring to boil, and reduce it by half. Swirl in butter and cook until the butter melts and is foamy. Take off the heat and whisk in the truffle oil.
To serve, as in this presentation, place a round scoop of pimento polenta in a middle of the plate. Bend the veal scallop and position it around the polenta. Drizzle the truffle sauce around and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
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I am back from London! It will probably take me a few days to get organized and prepare my write-ups of our London trip but I am looking forward to sharing my restaurant reviews and pictures very soon. I am also looking forward to catching up with my blog reading this week.
