Oh Truffle...We Hardly Knew Ye

Well, that does it for the truffle I bought last week. I decided to use it in a dish which showcases the truffle and had little else to stand in it's way. A little drizzle of truffle-infused oil at the end really brought the whole thing together. You can get jarred truffles at Sainsbury's and Waitrose, but nothing is better than a fresh one. I got mine at London Fine Foods, an online shop. Give it a go and you won't be disappointed!

(NOTE: If you have a whole truffle to burn on this dish, I would recommend shaving off five or six whole pieces and heating them up with the butter and oil in the beginning. Take another 3 or 4 slices and chop them up somewhat finely and add them in about halfway through the cooking. Shave however much you like at the end to top it off. The truffle-infused oil REALLY ties this one together.)

Risotto with Truffles and White Wine

2 cups beef broth
3 cups water
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup shallots, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or Carnaroli
½ cup white wine, or Champagne
salt and pepper
1 truffle, fresh, white or black (2 if using jarred truffle)

In a saucepan combine the stock and water, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low to keep warm.

In a deep wide saucepan or skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened but not browned.

Add the rice and stir for one minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring until most of the liquid has absorbed. Ad 1/2 cup of the broth and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, add the broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring until absorbed, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is al dente, tender yet firm to the bite. If you are using jarred truffle, add the liquid from the jar to the rice. About halfway through the cooking time, ad the salt and pepper to taste. The rice should be moist and creamy. Add more liquid if necessary; if you run out of broth, use water.

Take off the heat and stir in the remaining butter. If using jarred, chop it fine and stir into the risotto. Spoon the risotto onto plates. If using a fresh truffle, then with a truffle shaver or vegetable peeler, shave the truffle over the risotto.

Drizzle with some good extra-virgin olive oil, or truffle-infused olive oil (if you have some).