News

I am aware that we are going through difficult economic times, but this does not necessarily mean that all luxury foods must be avoided. If we try to be more creative and learn to use them wisely - to maximize their potential - we can still enjoy them.

A good example can be illustrated with the truffle. They are among the most expensive of the world's natural foods, often commanding as much as $1,270 a pound. Not too bad for an underground mushroom.

At Toqué!, I use French or Italian black truffles. Both are highly esteemed. Look for the black Perigord truffle (Tuber melanosporum); named after a region in France, it grows exclusively with oak. Chinese truffles are easier to find in markets, but I should warn you that they are of inferior quality and definitely not as tasty.

In form, the truffle is generally round, but it can also be irregular in shape. The season runs from mid-December until the beginning of March.

As I said earlier, because of their high price - and pungent taste - truffles are best if used sparingly. You can actually make four different recipes with just one small truffle, weighing about an ounce (which should cost about $80).

Start by placing the truffle in a jar with a dozen eggs; refrigerate for two days. The pungent odour of the truffle will penetrate the shells of the eggs, and they will eventually taste and smell like it.

For the first recipe, use six of the eggs to make truffle ice cream (recipe below). Next, use the other six to make brouillade d'oeufs à la truffe (truffle scrambled eggs). Garnish with a few truffle slices.

Now put your truffle in a jar again, this time with the semi-fine vialone nano rice. Refrigerate for another two days. This will allow you to make a delicious risotto. Once again, add a couple of slices of truffle on top.

With the rest of the truffle, you can make this recipe that I learned 20 years ago in Dijon, France. Place the truffle in the middle of uncooked bread dough, then bake the bread as you regularly would. Eat the bread with beurre fermier (farm-fresh butter) and salt to fully enjoy the unique taste.

See, four simple dishes with the diamond of the kitchen!

Truffle ice cream

Ingredients

16 truffled egg yolks

175 grams sugar

1 litre whole milk

Method

Whisk egg yolks and slowly incorporate sugar. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil in a medium-size pot. Slowly pour the milk into the yolks while whisking constantly (be careful not to curdle the egg).

Pour this mixture back into the pot and slowly heat to just below the boiling point while stirring with a rubber spatula. Immediately strain through a fine sieve and cool over ice bath. Refrigerate for at least three or four hours and then transfer to an ice cream maker.

Caramel

Ingredients

300 grams sugar

200 grams glucose syrup

25 grams butter, cubed

Method

Cook the sugar and glucose together (with a little water) until mixture is a dark golden brown. Whisk in butter until fully incorporated.

When the caramel is completely cooled, pulverize in a food processor until reduced to powder.

On a Silpat baking mat, with the guide of a stencil, make a small circle of powder slightly larger than the circumference of an egg. Spread to make a thin layer. Repeat until you have used up the powder. Place the mat in a 350 F oven until caramel has melted and is translucent. Cool and remove the discs from the mat and store in a dry, airtight container.

Take a cleaned-out hollow egg shell and fill two-thirds with the truffle ice cream. Place the caramel disc on a Silpat mat and put it back in the oven for a minute or so to soften. Gently transfer the caramel discs to the tops of the eggs and torch lightly until the discs wrap around the shells. Serves 8.

Normand Laprise is co-owner and head chef of Toqué! in Montreal