Risotto with Fresh Black Truffles

Much of my cooking favors frugality. But the holidays certainly provide a good time to do something special, perhaps splurge a bit. I had my first experience with fresh truffles at Craigie Street, and have since welcomed a chance to enjoy the truffle flavor more accessible ways such as truffle butter and oil. So I was very excited when I heard that Whole Foods Woburn was offering the opportunity to order fresh, highly prized truffles that get flown in directly from Italy, something only professional chefs typically get to do.

But how to make the most of this opportunity? I tend to be spontaneous and trust my instincts with much of my cooking, but the truffle delivery seemed to warrant some serious research. It was clear from my studies that something fairly plain and starchy like rice, pasta or potatoes is the best way to feature fresh truffles, and that they benefit from being prepared with some fat. So I quickly landed upon risotto.

My dilemma was whether to prepare it a a straight up truffle risotto or add some mushrooms. I had a modest amount of truffle coming, and wasn't sure it would be enough to pack good flavor, so I thought I'd get some mushrooms too. As a public service to loyal readers, I thought I'd make the truffle risotto first, and also prepare some mushrooms as I did for this mushroom risotto and see which was better.

Going into this experiment I was uncertain as to which option would be preferable, but we had a very clear result from our testing: you don't need to add mushrooms to enjoy a great truffle risotto! The flavor of the "basic" truffle risotto was delicate yet intensely flavorful at the same time, the musky scent and rich taste making for quite a treat.

This recipe can serve three comfortably as an entree or could be a first course for 6 or so. It would be the perfect dish to feature if you're entertaining and looking to impress for New Year's!

clean w toothbrush (unused!)

1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cups vegetable broth
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1/2 cup good quality Parmesan cheese, grated right before you get cooking (I had some top notch stuff from Whole Foods that smelled almost as good as the truffles!)
3 tbsp butter, diced
between 1/2 oz and 1 oz fresh black Perigord truffles
2 tbsp olive oil

First, finely grate about 2/3 of the truffles into a small bowl. There are truffle slicers, but we had success with a good sharp cheese grater, using the blade with the smallest holes. Enjoy those smells wafting in! Set aside the remaining truffle to shave over the dish...make sure you leave enough for this step. Next, grate the cheese into the same bowl, then stir in the butter to combine. Set aside as you begin to make the risotto. I looked at a lot of recipes for ideas, this method of combining the truffle with cheese and butter, and much of the procedure here, draws on upon an Epicurious recipe.

Fresh Black Perigord Truffle shavings

Now, it's time to get going on the risotto making. Bring the broth to a gentle boil and lower a bit to keep it warm, on burner handy to where you'll be cooking the risotto. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in sturdy pot for making the risotto. Add the onion, saute on medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for another minute or two. Pour in the rice, and stir to get it all well coated with the onions and oil. Cook for about one minute, then stir in the wine. Stir frequently, and cook until the wine is pretty well absorbed.

Once the wine is absorbed, it's time to begin gradually adding the stock to to pot. Add one cup, stir frequently. I keep it around medium heat, but go a bit higher if things seem to be going very slow, then lower the heat if it starts boiling. When the first cup of broth is absorbed, add another. This process continues until the stock is used or mostly used, and the rice is getting tender. You need to be stirring frequently...it's OK to briefly leave the pot to do other kitchen tasks, but stay nearby as it needs to get stirred every minute or two. Many recipes say this takes 15 to 20 minutes, but I usually find it takes more like 40...and my risotto always tastes great, if I do say so myself.

After the stock has been absorbed is tender (but don't let it get mushy!), gently stir in the truffle cheese mixture, and add the extra tbsp of oil to help it all come together nicely. Plate the risotto, and top with super thinly sliced shavings of risotto. Enjoy this delicate yet savory treat!

Serving ideas: We enjoyed this as a vegetarian main course, with a mixed green salad. I added some radicchio to the salad to add to the Italian flavor. This dish would also be a great first course for a New Year's dinner party, and could also be a nice side dish for a hearty meat entree. In fact, the little bit we have leftover will be enjoyed tonight with some Tuscan style steaks!

Wine pairing: File this under the "wine and foods meant to go together" department! Our truffles were from Italy. Truffle risotto is a common dish in Italy's Piedmont region, so serving it with a Barolo made perfect sense. We had the 2007 Cantine San Silvestro Patres Barolo. More accessible than many Barolos at about $30/bottle, this one opened up nicely after a bit of decanting, and made for a perfect match for this earthy dish!

Ordering your truffles: The fresh truffles can be ordered through New Year's, and it's roughly a two day turnaround. Stop by your local Whole Foods specialty department to order. It's market pricing, varying I suppose based on how many the truffle finding pigs manage to dig up! They are available through New Year's at Whole Foods markets in the North Atlantic region. They have black, white and burgundy truffles available. I'd say one ounce would be a good amount to serve 4 with an entree version or 6 as a first course or side.

Full disclosure: Whole Foods Woburn provided me with the ingredients for the meal to help spread word about this opportunity to enjoy fresh truffles. I developed  the recipe, and the results are fully my own!