Truffle Risotto Recipe
Black and White Truffle Risotto Recipe
This risotto recipe goes with my post Chocolate Truffles or Truffles Underground. It looks at the differences between chocolate truffles and these intensely pungent “diamonds” from the ground. A lot of people ask me why they are both called truffles, how to make homemade chocolate truffles and how to cook with truffle mushrooms. My lens covers all this plus you’ll find a great video of hunting truffles in Siena and more.
Where To Find Fresh Black & White Truffles
Fresh truffles have a short season so you have to be careful when purchasing them. There are other truffle products (truffle oil, truffle butter, jarred truffles) you can substitute that have longer shelf lives and are a little easier on your wallet but if you are looking the intense flavor and incredible pungent aroma of fresh truffles, be sure to find a purveyor who specializes in them.
A great source for finding all types of truffles plus truffle products is Amazon.com. Summer truffles, Winter truffles, truffle oil and a whole lot more can be found there.
The flavor of black truffles in this dish is showcased, front and center. You can substitute some truffle oil, but for the most intense flavor, there is no substitute for the “real thing.”
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced Kosher salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
1 tablespoon minced black truffle (or 1½ tablespoons truffle oil)
2 tablespoons softened butter (omit if using truffle oil)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Shaved white truffles for garnish
How To Prepare At Home
1) Bring stock to a boil, then turn off the heat.
2) Heat a sauté pan over medium heat until hot.
3) Add your butter and olive oil and heat until they start to shimmer.
4) Now add the minced shallot, garlic and dry rice. Cook and stir over medium heat until the garlic and shallot is tender and the rice is translucent around the edges, about 2 minutes.
5) Add a heavy pinch of salt, white pepper and white wine and cook until dry. I use white pepper only because it doesn't stand out against the color of the white risotto. There is no flavor difference, just for appearances.
6) Add 1 cup of hot stock along with the minced truffles (or truffle oil) and stir frequently until the broth is absorbed and the rice is almost dry.
7) Continue adding 1 cup of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup. You may not have to add all of the last cup of broth.
8) The finished risotto should have the consistency of thick, not stodgy, oatmeal. The risotto should be creamy, but the rice should still have some texture. The rice should not be mushy. Total cooking time will be about 20-22 minutes.
9) Once the rice is at the proper texture, stir in the butter (if using) and parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt or white pepper, if necessary.
10) Divide among plates. Garnish with one or two shavings of white truffle and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me...
My understanding of cooking with fresh truffles is that you NEVER actually cook the truffle. Rather, you shave the truffle over the finished and still very hot food and the truffle reacts with the fat (oil or butter) when gently stirred into the risotto after cooking.
Yes , I agree. I never cook them.
Good technique I developed for pasta is; to shave some truffle into ramekin and cover with melted, but not hot (!) butter. mix a bit. Allow to cool so flavours go through.
Then when I cook pasta I add and mix through hot pasta tablespoon (or more) of butter with truffle and shave some fresh on top. Will try the same with risotto later this week.