Thinly sliced Oregon white truffles I'm celebrating my 100th article on Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska with white truffles, a food worthy of any special occasion.
The first time I had white truffles was in La Morra, a small town in the heart of Piemonte’s Barolo wine country. Their flavor was seductively good, amazingly good, good like nothing I’d savored before.
Ever since, I’ve had white truffles as often as possible; in other words, rarely. Fresh white truffles are few and far between.
We arrived at an agriturismo on the outskirts of La Morra on a sunny fall afternoon. To check into Agriturismo Il Gelso, we sat at an outdoor stone table with then owner, Egidio Oberto. He welcomed us with glasses of excellent wine he’d made on-site. Basking in the autumn sun, our tired shoulders relaxed; the day of travelling already forgotten.
The wine whetted our appetites. Despite the early hour, we drove into La Morra looking for the Belvedere, a restaurant my father highly recommended. We parked, intending to roam the streets until we saw a Belvedere sign. When we got out of the car, we noticed the restaurant was directly across the street. That was a very good omen.
We opened the restaurant's door and discovered it was more formal than we’d thought. Despite the white tablecloths and old-world atmosphere, the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming. No reservation? Not a problem. Casually dressed? Come right in. We were comforably seated at a window table with a vineyard view.
The menu that evening featured white truffles (Tuber magnatum) and porcini (Boletus edulis), two local delicacies that had just come into season. We ordered one or the other or both for every course.
One of my favorite dishes was tajarin tossed in butter and parmesan, over which our waitress showered a flurry of white truffle shavings. Tajarin is a thinly cut fresh pasta unique to Piemonte and made with large amounts of egg yolks.
By the end of the evening, we were intoxicated with white truffles. I remember vividly how happy we were on leaving the Belvedere for a post-dinner stroll around La Morra.
I also remember the truffles’ better-than-expected flavor. I doubt it's possible to eat my fill of fresh Piemontese white truffles, but we spent the rest of our time in the environs of La Morra trying.
Recently, we arrived at our friends' house for dinner and were excited to find Bill making risotto with Oregon white truffles. Cindy brought the truffles home from a trip to Portland.
I’d read about Oregon white truffles, but this was the first time I’d tried them. They were smaller and much milder than their Italian cousins, but tasted distinctively and unmistakably of truffles. The risotto was a treat.
After dinner, as we bundled up to leave, Cindy generously gave us a handful of pungent Oregon truffles, carefully packed in dry Arborio rice. I lay in bed that night happily thinking about truffles.
Truffles, like mushrooms, are the annual fruit of underground fungi. The perennial part of truffles and mushrooms exists as a web of thread-like filaments in the soil called a mycelium.
In France and Italy, truffles have long been a gourmet treat. It’s only in recent years that commercial harvesters discovered two varieties of white truffles (Tuber oregonense and Tuber gibbosum) growing in the Douglas fir forests that run up the Pacific coast from Northern California to British Columbia.
We learned at La Morra’s Belvedere that the heady, earthy taste of truffles shines when paired with simple pasta, rice, or egg dishes. Because their flavor dissipates under heat, truffles shouldn’t be cooked. They are best when shaved over food at the time of serving.
I decided to pair the Oregon truffles with tajarin, the Piemontese pasta we ate in La Morra. Luckily, there was a new carton of organic eggs in the refrigerator, so I could make the egg-rich dough.
While making dinner, I thought about the best way to cut the truffles thin enough to release their maximum flavor. I'd settled on a mandoline when I suddenly remembered we owned a truffle shaver, unused since we’d received it for Christmas several years ago.
I laughed at myself for owning a truffle shaver, but it was the precise tool needed. The truffle shaver worked perfectly on its inaugural appearance; I hope to put it to good use many times in the future.
Or so I’m dreaming.
NOTE: The Belvedere closed this year. Its owners, the Bovio family, will soon open a new restaurant just outside La Morra called Bovio Ristorante.
Tajarin (Fresh Egg Yolk Tagliarini)
Makes enough pasta for 4 servings
Tajarin made with a food processor and pasta machine is quite easy. If you use farm fresh eggs, with their deep yellow yolks, the tajarin will have better flavor and more pronounced color. Use the extra egg whites to make Pistachio Biscotti.
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 whole eggs
6 egg yolks
Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the dough starts forming clumps. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute, adding a small amount of flour if the dough is sticky. When you’re done, the dough should be smooth and firm. Divide the dough into three portions, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for one hour. (Dough can be made ahead to this point.)
Run each portion of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine, starting with the thickest setting. Lightly dust the pasta dough with flour so it runs smoothly through the rollers. Fold the dough in thirds as if folding a letter, turn it 45 degrees, and again run it through the thickest setting. Repeat the folding, turning, and rolling at least three more times, or until the dough is smooth and shiny.
Set the pasta machine at the next thinnest setting. Run the sheet of pasta through, dusting with flour as necessary. Continue reducing the setting of the pasta machine and running the pasta through until you reach the machine’s second lowest setting. When the sheets of pasta become too long to comfortably handle, cut them into manageable lengths. When each sheet is done, lay it out to rest on a floured surface for 30 minutes.
Using the small (2mm) cutter on the pasta machine, cut the pasta into long lengths. Lay out the cut pasta on a floured cloth, or shape it into loose nests. Let dry for 30 – 60 minutes.
The tajarin is now ready to use.
Tajarin with White Truffles, Olive Oil, and Parmesan
Serves 4
If you don’t have access to fresh truffles, use white truffle oil instead. Be careful not to overdo; a little truffle oil goes a long ways.
Pasta:
1 recipe Tajarin (see above)
2 Tbsp. coarse salt
Sauce:
2 – 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly shaved white truffles or white truffle oil
Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, add the salt, and stir in the pasta. Cook for 1 minute. Drain.
Return the pasta to the pan, toss with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp. parmesan. If the pasta is too dry, add the remaining olive oil. Divide the pasta between four serving plates; top each plate with 1 Tbsp. parmesan. Shave truffles over the pasta (or drizzle with a small amount of truffle oil) and serve immediately.
Tajarin with Sage Butter
Serves 4
To perfect the tajarin recipe, I had to make it several times. This is the simplest and most recent version. Be sure to use good butter and fresh sage leaves; in a dish with so few ingredients, their quality matters.
Pasta:
1 recipe Tajarin (see above)
2 Tbsp. coarse salt
Sauce:
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced sage
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Melt the butter over low heat, stir in the sage, and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, add the salt, and stir in the pasta. Cook for 1 minute. Drain.
Return the pasta to the pan, toss with the sage butter and 2 Tbsp. parmesan. Divide the pasta between four serving plates; top each plate with 1 Tbsp. parmesan. Serve immediately.
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Thie is my entry for the Second Annual Pullet Surprise: Eggs hosted by Peanut Butter Etoufee.
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