# Another how do you use... white truffle oil



## velochic (Jan 22, 2009)

I've only ever used it in pastas, on pizza, on bruschetta, and once on salad that did not turn out to be very tasty.

It seems I only use it when tomatoes are involved.  Perhaps a subconscious foil to the acid in the tomato?  Obviously you can overpower dishes with its somewhat strong flavor, so I've avoided using it to finish, for example, fish dishes.

Thoughts?


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## PanchoHambre (Jan 22, 2009)

a dash in an earthy risotto is nice.... not in a Milanese but in one with some stronger more rustic tasting cheeses


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## quicksilver (Jan 22, 2009)

I've never tried it, but hear it's wonderful.


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## BreezyCooking (Jan 22, 2009)

I LOVE White Truffle Oil. My mom gifted me with a lovely imported bottle of it awhile ago, & it's kept just fine in my fridge.

I particularly love it drizzled over mashed potatoes, sliced boiled baby potatoes, or Orzo pasta.  Frankly, I'd never think of using it in/on a tomato dish, except for perhaps drizzling over a rice or orzo stuffed tomato dish or a homemade specialty pizza.  I think cooked tomatoes would overwhelm it.


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## pugger (Jan 22, 2009)

I brought some white truffle infused vinegar back from France several years ago. It was really tasty mixed w/ olive oil (or other oil) on salads. Jacked up the taste big time.

You might consider using (a very little bit - shaved like really thin mushrooms) in omelets. A couple of shavings, 4 or more eggs, a little (1/2 tsp) cognac & you've got a wonderful omelet.


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## vitauta (May 20, 2011)

any new thoughts on where to drizzle truffle oil?  i add it wherever i want mushroom enhanced flavor--soups, stews, sauteed onions and garlic, and with my everyday every way pastas--small droplets, big flavor.


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## luvs (May 20, 2011)

pasta (angelhair is , boiled potato, various veggies, many uses


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 20, 2011)

I drizzle it on unsweetened strawberries.


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## vitauta (May 20, 2011)

really?  how did you ever come up with that idea?  i will try it.....


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## CraigC (May 20, 2011)

Someone already mentioned the enhancement it gives to mushroom dishes. I believe that is where it shines the best. Adding it just deepens that earthy mushroom flavor. As a side dish, dry saute some thick sliced criminis and drizzle some over them once they are in the serving dish. No other ingredients necessary!

Craig


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 20, 2011)

vitauta said:


> really?  how did you ever come up with that idea?  i will try it.....



I needed a dessert that included "mushrooms"  for Our GCC - Mushroom here at DC.  You can search "GCC - Mushroom" to find the results and recipes from the challenge.


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## infinitecookbook (May 20, 2011)

I agree it is great with all sorts of different mushrooms. That's how I use it most. But it is also good on beef carpaccio. It's good in a chicken salad dip. It's great on some prosciutto with some fresh parmesan on top... I also drizzle some on a plate of antipasti along with some aged balsamic vinegar. A little over the top but... fun.

Another thing it is good for is something I picked up at a sushi restaurant near me that has some fancy dishes. I do my own variations of it at home. But they have a salmon carpaccio with kosher salt and white truffle oil that is fantastic. 

Here's mine. It's not sliced as thin (more like sashimi size) and I put some green onions on top and mix in some soy/yuzu (citrus - a lime would work too) sauce as well as the white truffle oil. Here's what it looks like:


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## LPBeier (May 20, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I needed a dessert that included "mushrooms"  for Our GCC - Mushroom here at DC.  You can search "GCC - Mushroom" to find the results and recipes from the challenge.



Here's my use for the GCC - Truffle Truffles!  But be VERY careful to use only a drop!


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## CWS4322 (May 22, 2011)

I haven't used the oil yet. I have some white truffle sea salt. I have used that on a tossed salad. It was very nice.


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## vitauta (Jun 9, 2011)

well, we're now advised that no real chef, no one possessing tastebuds, in fact, no one excepting a complete fool, would use white truffle oil in their kitchen, in their food. period.  these were the sentiments served up on the tv show, master chef, by chefs gordon ramsay, gordon elliot, and restaurateur, joe bastianich on monday night.  gordon ramsey, whom i greatly admire and respect for his culinary excellence, has me baffled and conflicted at his strident, broad-brushed denunciation of the truffle oils. but in the end the most disturbing revelation for me is ramsey's own unflattering hubris. now, what of the white truffle oil?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 9, 2011)

Use it for squeaky Truffles...


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## Andy M. (Jun 9, 2011)

vitauta said:


> well, we're now advised that no real chef, no one possessing tastebuds, in fact, no one excepting a complete fool, would use white truffle oil in their kitchen, in their food. period.  these were the sentiments served up on the tv show, master chef, by chefs gordon ramsay, gordon elliot, and restaurateur, joe bastianich on monday night.  gordon ramsey, whom i greatly admire and respect for his culinary excellence, has me baffled and conflicted at his strident, broad-brushed denunciation of the truffle oils. but in the end the most disturbing revelation for me is ramsey's own unflattering hubris. now, what of the white truffle oil?




Forget them.  If you like the the flavor it adds to your dishes, use it.  Chefs sometimes have hangups with different ingredients.  Anne Burrell never uses back pepper...


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## medtran49 (Jun 10, 2011)

I understand you have to be careful what you buy.  Some of them are made in not so good ways.  I'm getting ready to leave but when I get back I'll see if I can find the articles I read a good while back about any truffle oil.


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## BreezyCooking (Jun 10, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Forget them. If you like the the flavor it adds to your dishes, use it. Chefs sometimes have hangups with different ingredients. Anne Burrell never uses back pepper...


 
I agree.  If you like a certain dish or ingredient, the opinion of anyone else makes no difference whatsoever - whether it's the guy next door or the guy who has his own tv show/restaurant/cookbook.

I really like white truffle oil & will continue to use it, regardless of the public naysayers.


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## GrillingFool (Jun 10, 2011)

The "Master Chefs" claimed that it wasn't really truffle oil, but a concoction devised by perfumers.
But then again, we can't use anything but San Marzano tomatoes either...


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## Selkie (Jun 10, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> ...  Anne Burrell never uses back pepper...




...but yet she throws in tons of salt by the fistful! She's weird!


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## 4meandthem (Jun 10, 2011)

I make a raw corn salad that I drizzle with it. I also use it in the typical dishes and love the perfume it adds.

Anne Burrell fan here!


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## Andy M. (Jun 10, 2011)

4meandthem said:


> I make a raw corn salad that I drizzle with it. I also use it in the typical dishes and love the perfume it adds.
> 
> Anne Burrell fan here!




I agree.  She makes good stuff and clearly loves what she's doing.


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## medtran49 (Jun 12, 2011)

Well, guess it is a fraud and the master chefs were right. 

Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles - New York Times


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## vitauta (Jun 12, 2011)

medtran49 said:


> Well, guess it is a fraud and the master chefs were right.
> 
> Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles - New York Times



so, truffles oils are no more than modern day (culinary) snake oils. sad. another illusion shattered. thank you for getting us the facts with your research. live and learn.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 12, 2011)

I still like truffle oil and I will still be using it.  It's the only way I can afford truffle flavor.


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## infinitecookbook (Jun 12, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I still like truffle oil and I will still be using it.  It's the only way I can afford truffle flavor.



I agree. It has its place. Interesting article though. I once got to try the real deal fresh white truffles in Northern Italy. It was a tiny restaurant with 6 tables and only locals know about it. The chef was so happy that an American was visiting his restaurant that he came out personally to show me all the truffles they had and he shaved one onto some fresh pasta (only pasta, butter and the shaved truffles). I think he even lost money on the dish just so I could experience the real thing. It WAS absolutely amazing. There was definitely no additional truffle oil added either but it was about as rich as I've ever tasted real truffles be (without being enhanced with the oil). I am glad I got to experience that for reference. Every other time I've tried a less expensive imported white (or black) truffle it was inferior... and I had a feeling it was very sensitive to the amount of time out of the ground as the article points out. So the oil can help bring back the richness of the flavor - even though it IS actually a slightly different flavor. 

I've also noticed some differences in quality between truffle oils. Some are tasty but a bit "amped" like the article says. I do like that but the less is more thing makes sense. Go easy on it. However, I've also had some truffle oils that taste a little funny. I am not sure if it has to do with the brand or the amount of time on the shelf after being opened but it was a bit.... hmmmm, how do I describe it? Chemical tasting? Not vinegar-like but something like that. Artificial. Anyone ever experience that? It's weird. I WANT to like it but it's just too strong. I've been lucky the last couple of times I've gotten truffle oil were more just the amped up flavor more similar to truffles and not as weird tasting but before that the experience put me off a little.

Another fun thing to use is truffle paste. Although I imagine it's a similar thing with the artificial oils mixed with the paste of black truffles. Still... it does taste good and all of these truffle-flavored solutions are simply a lot cheaper than the real thing... and if you consider that unless you live in Italy or France even if you DID have the budget for real truffles... would they have the best flavor without being enhanced with the oil anyway? Good question.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 12, 2011)

I can get domestic black truffles, found in Oregon...I may just have to give them a shot.


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## medtran49 (Jun 13, 2011)

We've gotten some domestic truffles from time to time.  Ordered some directly from one of the Oregon growers a couple of times and got some from our local Fresh Market (kind of a Whole Foods store) another.  The ones from the growers were a lot better than the ones from Fresh Market, which were packed in rice.  The rice tasted great, the truffles not so much.  So, probably is related to how much time out of the ground.  I imagine the ones in the store had been out a good while versus the ones that were dug up and overnighted to us.


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## velochic (Jun 14, 2011)

I bought my white truffle oil in Italy.  There's a little sliver of white truffle in the bottom of the bottle.  As far as I can tell, what I have is the real deal.  I'm pretty careful about those kinds of things, though.  I read the ingredient list of every single thing I purchase.  Even some of the things I purchase often... like pickle-based condiments, which almost all use artificial food coloring... I read the labels.  I guess if you don't read labels, then it's caveat emptor, anyway.


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## CWS4322 (Jun 14, 2011)

I have truffle infused salt that I bought at The Spice Shop in Chicago, pricey, but very nice.


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## vitauta (Jul 8, 2011)

medtran49 said:


> Well, guess it is a fraud and the master chefs were right.
> 
> Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles - New York Times



i've replaced the truffle oil in my kitchen with italian black truffle salt. it's a sea salt that is made with real ground truffles, and it smells and tastes amazing!  it is a nice addition to many dishes - ones i wouldn't have previously chanced using the oil in.  right now i'm eating it in a garden salad for which i had no fresh mushroom--vEry Nice....


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