COOKING fresh truffles is not, I understand, a problem that comes up often in American or English kitchens, but for those who have an interest in such things, I am including this recipe. If you are using tinned truffles, restore their flavor by marinating them in a little Madeira added to the truffle juice in the tin. Good truffles must be absolutely fresh, not too woody in texture, and as free from cracks as possible. Ideally, they are perfectly round. The best truffles are of French origin (the Périgord, the Vaucluse) and others of a different variety also come from Italy (Umbria, Piedmont).

Truffles can be cut to create many kinds of garnish. If they are cut into tiny pieces, they require no cooking in advance and are added to a dish during its last minutes of cooking. Otherwise they are cooked in the following manner.



1 pound fresh truffles
3 tablespoons mixed minced vegetables (carrot, onion, celery)
1 tablespoon butter
Madeira or Port

REMOVE EVERY bit of dirt from the truffles, soaking them first in lightly salted lukewarm water ( 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 quart of water) for 45 minutes. Then drain them and scrub them with a stiff-bristled brush until they are perfectly clean; keep cold water running over them as you scrub.

In a heavy pan, simmer the mixed minced vegetables in the butter until they are soft. Add the truffles and enough wine to come a quarter of the way up the truffles. Cook them, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes; do not overcook them. Then slice or dice them, or cut them into rounds or strips, as suits the dish they are to accompany. Reserve the cooking liquid.





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