Black and White Truffle Risotto
This risotto recipe is to announce my latest Squidoo lens called When Is A Truffle Not A Truffle. It looks at the differences between chocolate truffles and these intensely pungent "diamonds" from the ground. A lot of people ask me why they are both called truffles, how to make homemade chocolate truffles and how to cook with truffle mushrooms. My lens covers all this plus you'll find a great video of hunting truffles in Siena and more.
Where To Find Fresh Black & White Truffles
Fresh truffles have a short season so you have to be careful when purchasing them. There are other truffle products (truffle oil, truffle butter, jarred truffles) you can substitute that have longer shelf lives and are a little easier on your wallet but if you are looking the intense flavor and incredible pungent aroma of fresh truffles, be sure to find a purveyor who specializes in them. One online company I like is the Gourmet Food Store. This web site not only offers truffle products but Foie Gras, Pate, Caviar and a whole bunch of gourmet products.
The flavor of black truffles in this dish is showcased, front and center. You can substitute some truffle oil, but for the most intense flavor, there is no substitute for the "real thing."
Truffle Risotto Recipe
| Prep Time: 15 min |
Cook Time: 30 min |
Total Time: .75 hr |
Servings: 4-6 |
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- White pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
- 1 tablespoon minced black truffle (or 1½ tablespoons truffle oil)
- 2 tablespoons softened butter (omit if using truffle oil)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Shaved white truffles for garnish
How To Make At Home:
1) Bring stock to a boil, then turn off the heat.
2) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat until hot.
3) Add your butter and olive oil and heat until they start to shimmer.
4) Now add the minced shallot, garlic and dry rice. Cook and stir over medium heat until the garlic and shallot is tender and the rice is translucent around the edges, about 2 minutes.
5) Add a heavy pinch of salt, white pepper and white wine and cook until dry. I use white pepper only because it doesn't stand out against the color of the white risotto. There is no flavor difference, just for appearances.
6) Add 1 cup of hot stock along with the minced truffles (or truffle oil) and stir frequently until the broth is absorbed and the rice is almost dry.
7) Continue adding 1 cup of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup. You may not have to add all of the last cup of broth.
8) The finished risotto should have the consistency of thick, not stodgy, oatmeal. The risotto should be creamy, but the rice should still have some texture. The rice should not be mushy. Total cooking time will be about 20-22 minutes.
9) Once the rice is at the proper texture, stir in the butter (if using) and parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt or white pepper, if necessary.
10) Divide among plates. Garnish with one or two shavings of white truffle and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
