Crostini With Porcini Butter And Summer Truffles Food

MUSHROOM AND CAMEMBERT CROSTINI ON BUTTER LETTUCE WITH TRUFFLE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, truffle paste, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• To make the crostini: Preheat the broiler.
• Brush the cut sides of the baguette slices with olive oil, and place under the broiler just until the bread is toasted on both sides. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are tender and the juices, if any, have cooked away. (Wild mushrooms release almost no juices.) If the mushrooms seem dry, add a few drops of chicken stock or water and continue to cook until they're nice and tender and any remaining liquid has boiled away. (You want the mushrooms to be dry, almost crisp on the outside.) Add salt and a generous amount of pepper, and set aside.
• Spread or spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons Camembert on each slice of toast. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted (or maybe even disappeared).
• To assemble: Reheat the mushrooms if they have cooled, or, if you prefer, keep them at room temperature.
• Toss the lettuce and eggs with the dressing. Distribute on individual salad plates. Place four crostini on each plate, and top each one with about 1 tablespoon of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little parsley, and serve.

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread on both sides with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until crusty and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn once about halfway through cooking, and dust with Parmesan, if using. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

CROSTINI WITH WHITE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Spread the bread slices lightly on one side with the butter and arrange them on a tray, buttered side up. Place in a 400-degree oven and bake about 6 minutes, until crusty but not dry. Rub the buttered side of the toast lightly with the garlic cloves.
• Toss the salad greens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a dash each of black pepper and salt, and divide the greens among 6 plates. Arrange the toast on top, one slice for each serving. Sprinkle each of the slices with 1 teaspoon of the cheese and a sprinkling of black pepper and salt.
• Using a vegetable peeler or truffle slicer, shave the truffles directly over the toast, coating each piece. Then sprinkle the toast with the remaining olive oil and a dash of black pepper. Serve immediately.

PORCINI BUTTER

Steps:

• Finely chop garlic. In a small bowl soak porcini in boiling-hot water 20 minutes. Remove porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. Rinse porcini to remove any grit and finely chop. Line a sieve set over a small saucepan with a dampened paper towel and pour reserved soaking liquid through it. Add porcini and garlic to saucepan and simmer mixture until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Cool mixture.
• In a bowl with a fork mash together butter, porcini mixture, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Transfer butter to a sheet of wax paper and roll into a 6-inch log. Butter may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days or frozen, wrapped in foil, 1 month. Bring butter to room temperature before using.
• Variations:
• Here are a few compound butters we find particularly versatile. Using the basic technique of mashing together butter and flavoring in the recipe above, and with a little imagination, you can create your own favorites.
• • Beurre maître d'hôtel: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
• • Truffle butter: 1 small black winter truffle or 2 small black summer truffles, chopped fine
• • Roquefort butter: 3 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort (only 1/2 stick butter needed for this variation)

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

CROSTINI WITH PORCINI BUTTER AND SUMMER TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Grind dried porcini in a spice grinder, producing about 1/2 cup of powder. The excess will keep for about a year in a jar. Or buy porcini powder online or at some food shops.
• In small bowl, combine the butter and 4 tablespoons of porcini powder. Add salt to taste.
• Slice the baguettes into very thin slices. Place on a sheet pan and toast until golden brown on both sides.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon of porcini butter on the baguette slices. Add a good pinch of truffles, and sprinkle with minced parsley if you like and a few grinds of pepper.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon of butter on the baguette slices. Add a good pinch of truffles, and sprinkle with minced parsley and a few grinds of pepper if you like.