Truffle Risotto

This recipe is adapted from one in Emeril's Creole
Christmas Cookbook, by Emeril Lagasse with Marcelle
Bienvenu, published by William Morrow, 1997.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups rice
1/3 pound assorted mushrooms, such as shiitakes,
oysters, or cinnamon cap, cleaned, trimmed,
and chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons chopped green onions, green portion only
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
Medium black truffle, for shaving, totally not optional
Use a large sauté pan to heat the oil over medium heat. Add
the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring,
until the onions soften, about three minutes. Add the stock
and the garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the
heat to medium, and continue to simmer for another 5-7
minutes. Add the rice and simmer for about another 10
minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should become
creamy and bubbly in about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream,
the butter, the green onions, cheese, and truffle oil.
Simmer for about another 2 minutes, stirring the whole
time. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the
risotto into the center of about eight bowls. Garnish with
freshly shaved black truffle.

Truffle Pasta

Michele Urvater wrote the
original recipe from which this was adapted.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh shallot
8 ounces fettuccine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons truffle butter
Freshly shaved truffle
Bring a kettle of salted water to a boil and use it to cook
the pasta according to directions. Cook the shallots in
butter over a very low heat until they are tender. Add the
cream and reduce until it is somewhat thickened. Add the
cooked drained pasta to the cream and toss thoroughly to
coat. Whisk in the truffle butter and remove from the heat.
Season with salt and some good, robust, freshly ground
black pepper. Sprinkle liberally with shaved truffle.

Chicken Breast with White Truffles

This recipe is
adapted from one by Mario Batali,

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded
hard with a mallet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup white wine
4 thin, tender slices of ham (culatello if you can find it)
White truffle shavings
Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper, then coat
each breast in the flour. Shake off the excess flour. Use a
large sauté pan to heat the olive oil and butter. Add the
chicken breasts to the pan and cook until they are a
beautiful golden brown on both sides. Make sure they're
cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a
plate and set aside, making sure to keep it warm. Deglaze
the pan with white wine. Allow the wine to cook for about
one or two minutes, then pour the sauce over the chicken.
Place a slice of the ham on each hot chicken breast. Top
this fortunate chicken with white truffle shavings and
serve immediately.

Black Truffle Pasta

1/2 package capellini pasta
1/2 package frozen peas
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1 ounce shaved black truffle
1 and 1/2 ounce black truffle oil
1/2 ounce champagne vinegar
1 small minced shallot
1 bunch onion grass, or chives, minced
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the
peas to the boiling water about one minute before the pasta
is cooked. Drain well and toss in the butter. Make a
truffle vinaigrette by combining the black truffle, the
truffle oil, the vinegar, and the shallot. Toss the pasta
in the vinaigrette, then add the chives. Check for
seasoning and serve immediately.

Truffled Lobster Risotto

This recipe calls for
using the lobster shells to create a lobster broth, so
be careful not to throw them out.
2 uncooked lobster tails, about 8 ounces each.
3 ½ cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons truffle oil - white or black
¾ cup carrots, peeled and chopped fine
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 cup rice
¼ cup brandy
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped chives, fresh
Set the oven temperature at 425 F. Cook the lobsters
in a large pot of boiling salted water. It should take
about 10 minutes to cook them all the way through, and
the shells should be bright red. Transfer the tails
to a bowl or sink full of cold water in order to cool.
When cooled, drain the lobster and remove the meat from
the shells. Reserve the shells. Cut the lobster meat
into pieces about ½ inch large.
Break the lobster shells into large pieces, place them
on a baking sheet, and bake them for about 15 minutes.
Blend 1 cup of chicken broth with the broken, baked
shells in a blender until finely chopped. Strain
through a very fine sieve. Reserve this broth and
discard the shells.
Bring 2 ½ cups of chicken broth to a simmer and keep
it hot. Place 1 tablespoon of truffle oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the carrots and
shallots for about two minutes. Add the rice and
stir two minutes. Add the brandy, the reduce the heat
to medium-low. Simmer the mixture until the brandy is
absorbed, which should take about two minutes. Stir
constantly while you heat the mixture. Add the lobster
broth and about ¾ of the chicken broth. Simmer until
the rice is tender and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add the remaining broth ¼ cup at a time as needed.
Stir often and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the
lobster and cream; stir until heated through. Remove
from the heat, stir in 2 tablespoons truffle oil, and
chives. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

 

Truffle Butter:
4 ounces softened REAL butter
2 ounces White or Black truffles
2 shallots, minced
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried thyme
Blend all ingredients well, shape into a log, and freeze in aluminum foil.
Keeps for up to a year. Best flavor if used within 6 months

Truffle Salmon Quiche:
8 oz. can Cooked salmon, drained and flaked
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 t. chopped green onion
1 T. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
2 oz. truffles, grated
3 eggs
1 Cup whole milk (scant)
pinch nutmet
9 inch pastry shell (deep)
Combine cheese, onion, flour and salt. Spread half of mixture on the bottom of the pastry shell. Top with salmon. Spread the remainder of the cheese mixture on the salmon.
Put eggs, truffles, nutmeg and milk in a blender on low speed, or mix well by hand. Pour this liquid mixture over the ingredients in the pastry shell.
Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until well browned.
Serves 6.

Pheasant Raviolis with Truffles in Creamy Morel Sauce:

Ravioles Dough:
1 c. unbleached flour
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 to 2 tbsp. water
Ravioles Filling:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. shallots, chopped
1/2 lb. ground pheasant breast meat
2 tbsp. chopped truffles (about 2 oz.)
1 tbsp. cognac
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Scant 1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. creme fraiche (recipe follows and it must be made in advance)
Morel Sauce:
6 oz. fresh morel mushrooms (or about 1 oz. dried morels)
1 c. unsalted butter, divided
1/4 c. truffle juice, reserved from canned truffles (or 3 tbls. truffle oil)
2 c. heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 thin slices truffle, fresh, canned or dried (re-hydrated)
Fresh watercress for garnish
Ravioles dough:
Put flour in the bowl of food processor which has steel blades. Add eggs, olive oil and one tablespoon of water at a time. Pulse on and off until dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Ravioles filling: Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Saute shallots until soft. Add ground pheasant and cook until done, being careful not to brown meat. Add truffles, cognac, black pepper and cornstarch. Cook over low heat just until moisture has evaporated; chill. Just before using in ravioles, stir in creme fraiche.
Roll the pasta into sheets using a pasta machine or rolling pin, rolling as thinly as possible. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut dough into 24 rounds. In center of each of 12 rounds, spoon a tablespoon of filling. Using a brush dipped in water, moisten edges of dough. Place another round on top. Press down edges to seal.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large kettle. Cook ravioles for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Quickly rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Clean morels and slice in 1/4 inch slices. Melt 1/4 cup butter in large heavy saucepan. Gently saute morels until limp. Add truffle juice (or truffle oil) and cream. Heat slowly for about 10 minutes. Gradually stir in remaining butter, a few pieces at a time until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place ravioles in sauce just long enough to heat through. Spoon sauce into bottom of four heated dishes. Add three ravioles each. Top with slice of truffle and garnish with fresh watercress sprigs.
Serves 4.
Fettucine Gibbosum:
5 cups hot, cooked spinach fettuccine or homemade beet leaf pasta.
Sauce:
3 T melted butter
1 pint half and half (or cream)
3 egg yolks
1 T cornstarch "blended in"
1/2-1 tsp dried parlsey
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
Sprinkle over top: 6 medium sized Truffles, grated.
Serves 2-4.

Fried Chicken with Truffles & Mushrooms in Cream Sauce:
Submitted by Daniel B. Wheeler and C. Robert Brittain

4.5 Lbs. Chicken
1 22 Oz. Jar Uncle Ben's Creamy Mushroom Sauce
1 Cup White wine
1/4 Cup (2 ounces sliced) White Truffles or Black Truffles.
Fry chicken in a skillet for 45 minutes or until brown. Drain fat.
Add 22 Oz. Jar Uncle Ben's Creamy Mushroom Sauce, 1/4 cup thin-sliced truffles, and 1 cup white wine. Simmer for additional 10-15 minutes to let sauce blend.
Makes 8-10 servings, depending upon appetite.
Truffles and Wood Mushrooms "En Mirepoix":
Ingredients:
4 nice truffles of 40 gr each
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
1 small onion
100 gr of butter
5 cl of Champagne
20 gr of poultry sauce
250 gr of wood mushrooms
200 gr of puff pastry
1 egg yolk
1 twig of thyme
EQUIPMENT
salt and pepper mills
1 pan and its lid
4 small individual china soup tureens
1 frying pan
oven at 250°
METHOD
Dice the vegetables and cook them on low fire in a pan with 40 gr of butter and the thyme twig.
Add the truffles, the Champagne, the poultry sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Put the truffles into the small individual tureens.
Remove the thyme twig and turn up the cooked juice-away from the fire- by adding 40 gr of pretty hard butter.
Rapidly brown in the frying pan the wood mushrooms with 20 gr of butter, salt and pepper and then distribute them into the soup tureens.
Cover each tureen with a thinly rolled pastry sheet, and brush it golden with the yolk. Put into the oven at 250° (mark 8/9) during 15 minutes in order to obtain a beautiful glazed and round crust.
Serve the whole as it is.

Foie Gras, Truffles & Scampi Risotto:
INGREDIENTS
250 gr of rice
1/2 onion
1/2 smoked duck fillets
500 gr of poultry consommé
30 gr of foie gras purée
8 big scampi
60 gr of fresh truffle
160 gr of duck foie gras
25 cl of truffle juice
40 gr of butter
EQUIPMENT
2 coffee spoons of goose grease
2 non-adhesive saucepans
1 conical strainer
1 frying pan
1 small whisk
METHOD
Cut the 160 gr of foie gras into 16 big cubes.
Carve and dice the duck fillet. Mix the poultry consommé with the 30 gr of foie gras purée.
Separate the scampi heads and tails and cook the carcasses in a frying pan with 1 coffee spoon of goose grease. Add the consommé . Cook it for 5 min, and then pass the whole through the conical strainer.
Mince the onion and cook it in the frying pan with the rest of the goose grease.
Let it just get gold, add the diced smoked duck fillet and the 20 gr of truffle cut in small cubes. Let cook some seconds and then add the rice, mix it, pour the consommé into the frying pan, cover and cook 18 min.
In a non-adhesive saucepan, without any grease, cook during 30 seconds on each side the salted and peppered foie gras cubes, the scampi tails and the rest of truffle cut into small cubes.
Skim the fat off with kitchen paper and then deglaze with the truffle juice, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to take off all the juice.
Remove the foie gras and the scampi. Let reduce for a moment and then add 40 gr of butter. Wisk vigorously to give consistence to the sauce. Taste it and adjust the flavoring if necessary. Set the before hand warmed dishes with rice. Put on top alternatively and making a corolla the scampi, the foie gras cubes and the truffles. Wet with the butter sauce.

 

A Simple Beginning With Truffles
by Tanith Tyrr

Truffles cry out to be showcased elegantly but simply-the classic backdrops for the intense flavor of these rare and delicious wild mushrooms are mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pasta, polenta and risotto. You can use your own recipes for any of these dishes and simply drizzle truffle oil and add fresh raw truffle shavings on top, or use the following:

· Scrambled eggs with truffles: Beat eggs lightly in a bowl with a little cream; add white or black pepper if desired, but no salt. Scramble over medium heat in lightly browned butter. At the last minute of cooking (literally; all of the soft textured truffles are generally best either raw or very lightly heated, just enough to incorporate their essence into the dish), add slivered or shaved truffles. Oregon truffles work very well indeed with this dish. Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste after cooking.

· Truffle omelette: Beat three eggs with a touch of pepper (no salt until after cooking please; it causes chemical changes that toughen the egg) and a dash of water or cream. The more thoroughly you beat the eggs, the smoother the omelette will be, and if you beat them to the point of fluffiness, the omelette will be very light and fluffy and should be cooked over slightly lower hear. Fry gently in an omelette pan.
o Option I: Add sliced, peeled black truffles soaked in brandy right after the eggs have set slightly, a few minutes into the cooking.
o Option II: Add about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking sliced Oregon White truffles. Try adding them, waiting a minute and then turning off the flame and letting them sit for an additional few minutes to allow them to incorporate into the dish.
o Option III: Add in the last 30 seconds of cooking, after the heat is off, Italian white truffle shavings and oil. Top omelettes with creme fraiche or unsweetened whipped cream.

· Truffled mashed potatoes: Peel and quarter potatoes; Yukon or Finnish gold are preferred. Put through a potato ricer for best consistency; add butter, cream, salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, drizzle with truffle oil (any kind) and mix to incorporate. Do not reheat potatoes once the truffle oil has been added. Garnish with truffle shavings. Good results can also be achieved by using plain boiled or steamed potato slices and drizzling truffle oil over them. You may slice in fancy shapes or use attractive garnishes (lemon slices, parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, etc) to create an elegant but easy-to-make appetizer.

· Truffled risotto: Use any standard plain risotto recipe, and incorporate the truffles very late in the cooking.
Options: drizzle with white truffle oil and shavings, add slivers of Oregon white truffle, or cook down black truffles over very low heat for 45 minutes or so in equal parts demiglace and good red wine, and incorporate into the risotto.

· Truffled polenta: Make any standard recipe for firmly setting polenta suitable to be sliced and served in squares. Top with various options: Drizzled white truffle oil and shavings, slivered Oregon truffles, truffle oil and strips of prosciutto, Italian or Oregon white truffles and melted fontina or Asiago cheese, simmered black truffle shavings in demiglace and wine.

· Pasta con tartufi: Boil fresh pasta for no more than a few minutes; drain and allow to cool to serving temperature. Add one of the following: 1/8 tsp truffle oil per serving, 1/8 tsp black or white truffle paste per serving, chopped fresh Oregon truffles to taste (about 1/2 oz to 1 oz per serving-you can afford it!). Serve with Balsamic Truffle Dressing on the side if desired. Gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) are particularly wonderful drizzled with browned butter and white truffle oil and scattered with black walnuts as they do at Oliveto's, a classic cuisine Italian restaurant in Oakland, California.

· Truffle dressing: Mix truffle oil and vinegar (balsamic works well) to your taste; start with 2:1 oil to vinegar and work from there. You can stretch the truffle oil by cutting it with hazelnut oil. Emulsify by beating thoroughly, and add cream if desired for a thicker consistency. This dressing is excellent on salads and preserved meats as well as pasta.

Truffled Bresaola Salad
by Tanith Tyrr

2 oz Bresaola, sliced paper-thin (this is an air-dried beef, slightly nutty and gamy, cured prosciutto style. If not available, use prosciutto.)
1 head frisee lettuce, separated into small curls
2 oz blanched finely crushed hazelnuts
2 oz crushed black walnuts
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup white truffle oil
1/8 cup hazelnut oil
1/2 cup chanterelle mushrooms, sauteed in a few drops of oil until limp
Raw white truffle slices
Note that either the hard-to-find and expensive Italian White Truffle (tuber magnatum pico) can be used in this salad, or you can use the Oregon White Truffle (tuber gibbosum) to excellent effect on both your palate and your pocketbook.
Mix balsamic vinegar, hazelnuts and hazelnut oil until blended. Arrange frisee to cover the plate, and pour the hazelnut/balsamic dressing over the greens. Arrange bresaola in slices around the plate, and then spoon the mushrooms in a spiral pattern over bresaola and lettuce. Scatter crushed black walnuts over the mushrooms, and drizzle white truffle oil over the bresaola and the salad. Garnish with white truffle slices, as generously as your supply allows.
Note: don't use chocolate truffles in this recipe; I don't think the results would be good. Use the fungus (tuber mushroom) instead. ;)

Polenta pies with truffle filling
by Terry Mitchell

100 grams (3 1/2 oz) polenta
350 ml. (12 fl oz) chicken stock
4 egg yolks
50 grams (1 2/3 Dutch cheese (Gouda)
salt and black pepper
8 preserved tomato halves
120 grams (4 oz) fresh truffles, cut into small cubes 8 cubes of foie gras, 5 grams (1/6 oz) each 200 grams (7 oz) cepes (wild mushrooms)
olive oil
Prepare the polenta with the chicken stock and when ready stir in the egg yolks and cheese. Season and allow to cool. Oil 8 non-stick molds of 3 inches / 8 cm. diameter, 1 inch / 3 cm. deep, with olive oil. Roll out the polenta between two sheets of plastic foil to a thickness of 1/5 inch / 5 mm. Line the molds with the polenta and fill with tomato, foie gras and truffle. Cover the pies with a polenta lid and bake for 8 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 390°F/200°C. Clean the mushrooms, slice them and fry in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. To serve turn out the pies straight from the oven onto plates and serve with fried cepes.
Happy Cooking !!!
Terry Mitchell

Fonduta con tartufi
Compliments of Lorenza de Medici, contributed by Kate

12 oz fontina (preferably fontina d'Aosta), thinly sliced 2 cups cold milk (whole milk only)
4 egg yolks
3 tbl softened unsalted butter
1 fresh white truffle about 1 oz
Cover cheese with the milk and let stand for about 3 hours. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the milk. Place cheese in the top of a double boiler with a little salt and place over simmering water. Stir constantly with a whisk until melted and smooth. Heat the reserved milk and mix in the butter and egg yolks. Stir rapidly into the melted cheese until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into a heated serving dish, shave the truffle thinly over the top and serve while still very hot.

Mushroom quiche with preserved truffles
by Tanith Tyrr

The basic binder/custard filling for quiche is 2 eggs beaten into one cup of milk. (One pie takes about 2 cups of milk and 4 eggs, depending on solid volume.) Add grated cheese to your taste (typically 3/4 cup) Any other ingredients to your taste (from 1/2 cup to 1 cup in volume).
Add all solid ingredients in the lightly baked or unbaked crust. Pour the binder over it, but do not overfill as the pie will rise a bit. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes initially, then take it down to 325° for another 30 or 40 minutes or until it has set to your taste. It will set a bit firmer when cool.
Mix and match list of solids: fresh herbs like parsley or basil, fresh wild mushrooms (sautee first), cooked diced bacon, proscuitto or cured venison, duck meat, wild garlic greens, wild rice, goat cheese, hazelnuts or walnuts, whole raw Oregon white truffles...use your imagination, eh? You can also add neat-o stuff to the basic pie crust recipe like dried mushroom powder or herbs, or make your crust out of things like wild rice, sourdough bread crumbs or fresh vegetables whirled with the basic flour and butter short crust.

Devilled Eggs with Truffles
by Daniel Wheeler

2 dozen eggs
1 ounce Oregon White truffles
1 6-oz. can chopped/minced olives
3 tbsps Miracle Whip dressing
Boil eggs in salted water for 12-15 minutes. Plunge into cold water to cool for 2 minutes. Peel while still warm, slice longitudinally. Remove hardened yolks. Blend into yolks the Miracle Whip and canned olives. Olive pieces should be less than 1/4-inch long. Spoon into egg halves.
Arrange artistically on a platter with contrasting garnish, such as Red peppers, Green beans, broccoli, and/or tomatoes. I like using cauliflower to continue the white of the boiled eggs.
Using a thin-bladed knife, slice truffles as thinly as possible. Use as garnish over the yolk-Miracle Whip-olive mixture, pressing down slightly. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, covered, before serving. The wait period allows the aromas to permeate the eggs. Use are hors d'oeuvres. Makes 48 devilled eggs.

Truffled Eggs II

If you put raw eggs in an airtight container with your fresh truffles for 24 to 48 hours, the fragrance will permeate them thoroughly. Use these truffled eggs in a simple omelette or scramble them with a little cream. Garnish with a bit of truffle oil or slivers of shaved truffle.
Uova Strapazzate Al Tartufo
Scrambled eggs with truffles (tuber magnatum or melanosporum), by "Kate B"
Melt 4 tbl unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Beat 8 large eggs in a bowl lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the fry pan and stir from time to time. When egg mixture is just beginning to solidify remove from the heat and add 2 tbl heavy cream. Mix well and serve on toasted buttered bread. Shave truffle thinly over each serving. Should serve 4. Will need about 2 oz of truffle to adequately dress the eggs. (Note: T. magnatum is the Piedmont white truffle, and T. melanosporum is the Perigord black truffle)

Black Truffle Crostini
by "Kate B"

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp green peppercorns (brine packed)
7 oz chicken livers
1 to 2 oz black (tuber aestivium or melanosporum) truffle 3 tbl EV olive oil
1 tsp brandy
juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 slices of your favorite Italian or French bread
Place garlic and green peppercorns in a mortar and reduce to a pulp. Cut the well trimmed livers and truffles into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and when hot add the livers and truffles. Stir fry for about 5 minutes then add garlic/peppercorns and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add brandy and lemon juice, season with salt & pepper and blend well. Spread evenly on toasted bread.

Decadent Truffle Potato Salad
by Tanith Tyrr

1 1/2 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup white truffle oil
1/2 cup fresh sweet hazelnut oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice or water
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 hardboiled eggs, sliced or coarsely chopped
Whole or quartered truffles (Oregon white truffles do very nicely)
Taste your oils before combining them-be sure they are both sweet and pure, and have not gone "off" or rancid. Your end result is only as good as its lowest quality ingredient, so exercise quality control.
With the egg yolk, vinegar, lemon juice or water, and oils make a mayonnaise. if you are not familiar with the process. Keep the mayonnaise refrigerated while cooking the potatoes.
You may peel and cut the potatoes into 1/2" chunks and steam them (this works well with Yukon Gold potatoes and also helps retain the colors on the exotic purple varieties), or boil them and cut them later. Allow cooked potatoes to cool, and mix them gently with the mayonnaise, walnuts, eggs and as many truffles as you can afford. Cover the salad and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving. Serve cold.
Truffle Mayonnaise
1/2 cup white truffle oil
1/2 cup fresh sweet hazelnut oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice or water
Begin by beating the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water or lemon juice. While beating (a mixer or blender makes this much easier; I use a small food processor), slowly pour in the oil, always making sure that the amount of free (unabsorbed) oil is a fraction of the amount of egg yolk or emulsified mayonnaise. If the mayonnaise gets very thick and the oil is not mixing in properly, add water a teaspoon at a time to help it.
If you are concerned about salmonella in raw eggs, there are two other ways to construct a suitable starter to add the oil to.
The first is to almost-cook the egg yolk with the aid of a microwave oven and three clean forks or small whisks. Beat together, in a microwave-safe bowl, the egg yolk, vinegar and lemon juice or water. Remember that the tool you use to beat this is "contaminated" and must no be re-used from this point. Put the mixture in the microwave on high and bring it to a boil. After 8-10 seconds of boiling, stop the oven and quickly beat the mixture thoroughly with a fresh clean fork or whisk, to make sure no cold spots remain. Place back in the microwave and repeat, beating at the end with a third clean fork or whisk.
The second is to begin with a relatively small amount of store bought mayonnaise (3 tbsp) in place of the egg yolk and vinegar and beat in a few tablespoons of water before adding the oil. This actually works with brands that do not use gelatin or artificial thickeners, although the result is a little thin. (There is about 1/3 of an egg yolk in a quart of commercial mayonnaise, and this stretches it even more.)
In eiher case, proceed to slowly add oil, as above. If the mayonnaise "breaks" into curdled egg and runny oil, don't panic-you have not wasted all that expensive oil. You either added the oil too fast or didn't have enough water. Set the broken mixture aside, and start over with a teaspoon or two of the broken mayonnaise (particularly the curdled egg) and a tablespoon of water, which should be easy to beat into a smooth but thin mayonnaise, then slowly add the broken mixture back in as if it were oil.
Chill the mayonnaise immediately and do not let any of this product remain at room temperature for longer than it takes to eat it.

Foie Gras Fans With Mango
Tanith Tyrr

1 foie gras liver, about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs
1 bottle Sauternes or sweet white wine
2 cups chicken broth (homemade or high quality)
5 fresh mangos
4 oz duck prosciutto or smoked magret (duck breast) Shaved or slivered black truffles
Soak the liver overnight in water, milk or Sauternes. Carefully slice the liver into three to five sections that can be rolled into roughly cylindrical shapes (the liver will be malleable at room temperature), remove all veins and membrane, and allow the liver to sit under water for an hour or two to lose its chill. Use plastic wrap and preferably a Japanese sushi rolling mat to gently roll the roughly cut pieces into a cylindrical form inside the plastic wrap. Do not crush or damage the liver. Tie the ends of the plastic wrap with twine very tightly and gently poach the liver until the inside is still quite pink, generally no more than five to eight minutes in simmering water. Shock the packages in ice water to stop the cooking, and carefully drain off the foie gras oil into a container and freeze for later culinary uses. Sprinkle the cooked livers with salt and pepper and marinate in the refrigerator overnight in Sauternes and chicken broth with a few drops of brandy to taste.
Slice the mangoes into strips about 1/5" thick and 1" wide and arrange three strips together in a "fan" pattern. Add one slice of poached foie gras sprinkled with slivered or shaved black truffle and one thin slice of smoked duck breast and/or duck prosciutto. You may also use a strip of prosciutto to wrap the truffle and foie gras atop the mango fan.