After attending the white truffle (tuber magnatum pico) festival in Alba, I had a nice little 17g (€68) nugget of scented gold. I had tried most of the recommended Alba dishes of trying this - fried egg, steak tartare, tajarin pasta (all except cheese fondue) - and even though they were ok, I didn't think any were as spectacular as I'd hoped. In search of a high-end restaurant recipe that could hopefully recreate the magic from Eleven Madison Park, I found something simple, famous and cookable.
There's some disparity in the world about whether truffle oil is a wonderful culinary product or just a bunch of chemicals that falsify the food. Since Thomas Keller is a 3 Michelin star chef and the recipe uses it, I figure it's ok. Although if using real truffle I suppose it would be good to limit the oil so you aren't pretending the real thing is responsible for all the scent and flavour.
The end product is an incredibly buttery, creamy rich risotto with a lovely scent of fresh white truffles and an underlying flavour of cheese and white truffle. The recipe is adapted from online recommendations, especially to cut down the cream from 3 cups to 1 cup. The original is also a 2-part recipe, assumably to pre-prepare the risotto for restaurant purposes.
Carnaroli Risotto with Shaved White Truffles from Alba
(Serves 3-4)
2 tbs oil
3 tbs minced onions (about half an onion)
1 cup Carnaroli rice (I used arborio)
1 cup crisp dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups Chicken Stock and 2 cups water heated to a simmer
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
75g unsalted butter
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tbs white truffle oil
Fresh white truffle
Heat the oil in a deep heavy saute pan over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook slowly until softened and translucent but not browned. Mix in the rice and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine and let it simmer, without stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. When the liquid has been absorbed, begin stirring to "toast" the rice. The rice should not brown, but it will separate into individual grains. Scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the rice from sticking. The alcohol smell should be completely gone.
Add stock 1/2 cup (1-2 ladles) at a time to cover the rice. As the liquid evaporates, add more stock. Continue to cook, adding more stock as it evaporates and tasting the rice from time to time. The finished rice will be similar to al dente pasta: it should be thoroughly cooked but with a little "bite" remaining to it, never mushy. When the rice is cooked, let whatever liquid remains in the pan evaporate (you may not use all the stock).
Remove the risotto from the heat and beat in the butter a little at time, working quickly so it will "emulsify" with the rice (creating a creamy risotto) rather than melt into the risotto. Vigorously beat in the whipped cream, cheese, salt to taste, and the white truffle oil.
Divide among serving bowls. Place shavings of white truffle over the top of the risotto. Serve immediately.