Chef
Jody Denton, Merenda Restaurant and Wine Bar-Bend, OR
Adapted by StarChefs
This recipe calls for fresh truffles, which
tend to be very expensive. If you have champagne taste
and a beer budget, you have a couple of options. Canned
or jarred truffles are available at gourmet markets and
cost significantly less. Alternatively, you could forego
the truffle garnish at the end entirely, and use only
the truffle butter. This butter is still extremely flavorful,
but won't set you back as far as the fresh truffles, which
can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000 per ounce, depending
upon the season and variety.
Yield: 4-6 servings
- 8-10
small baby carrots, peeled, with ½-inch of
the green tops left on
-
½ cup small spring onions or peeled pearl onions
-
2 cups vegetable nage (see recipe below)
-
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied together tightly with string
-
½ cup chanterelles, morels or other small forest
mushrooms, cleaned
-
2 cups freshly hulled English peas
-
12 medium spears asparagus, trimmed to about 3 inches
-
3 tablespoons high quality extra virgin olive oil
(yellow and buttery rather than green and peppery)
-
3 Tablespoons truffle butter (available in gourmet
markets)
-
1 Tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
-
1 ounce fresh whole truffles, preferably black Perigord
or Italian whites, but brown are
- acceptable
if they are all that is available.
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Place
the carrots and onions a large saucepan along with ½
cup of the vegetable nage, a pinch of salt and pepper and
place over high heat. After about 3 or 4 minutes (depending
on the size of the carrots) add the thyme, the mushrooms and
the peas. Add more nage as needed to prevent the pan from
going dry.
After
3 more minutes, add the asparagus and olive oil. Add a little
more nage if necessary to keep the vegetables moist. Adjust
the salt and pepper to taste.
After
cooking for 2 more minutes there should be about ¾
cup of liquid in the bottom of the pan.
Add
a bit more nage if you need to. Add in the butter and chopped
parsley. Check the seasoning one last time and serve in soup
bowls, dividing vegetables and liquid evenly among the bowls.
Top
with freshly shaved truffles.
Vegetable
Nage:
This
can be made up to three days ahead of time.
- 1?
cups onions, large dice
-
? cup leeks, large dice
-
1 cup celery, large dice
-
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-
2 ½ Tablespoons chopped garlic
-
1 bay leaf
-
1½ cups white wine
-
4 cups water
-
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Sweat
vegetables and herbs in olive oil until tender. Add wine and
simmer for 15 minutes. Add water and simmer for 1½
hours. Strain.
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