The Prague Post
October 12th, 2008
Endowment Fund     Business Listings ONLINE      Reservations      Classifieds    Subscriptions
Hotel Prague Centre
Prague Real Estate

Home » Archives » Night & Day

A fresh approach

Breaking tradition for a great seasonal treat
From the chef | Search restaurants | Archives

January 17th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
This egg-and-truffle dish takes advantage of technique to match texture and flavor.
By Alfonso Alés

This recipe is based on tradition, but with modern techniques that utilize new cooking methods. The approach is originality through simplicity.

Potatoes, eggs and truffles marry very well. Winter is the best season to get fresh truffles, of course, but you can also find them preserved, which will make home preparation easier.

In this recipe, we balance the sweet, husky taste of egg and truffle, the bitterness of roasted potato skin and the acidity of lemon juice. The combination of textures is surprisingly pleasant.

Egg, Roasted Potato and Winter Truffle
Ingredients Preparation To serve
(Serves four)
4 eggs
For the mashed potatoes:
16 small potatoes (Grenaille or Ratte are best)
3 soupspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
20 grams (0.7 ounces) black winter truffle, fresh or preserved
1 teaspoon fresh chives, finely chopped
Fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
For the broth:
4 large potatoes (Elizabeth works best)
1.5 liters (1.6 quarts) mineral water
3 soupspoons black truffle juice (from the bottle)
Juice of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground white pepper 		Cook the eggs at 63 C (155 F) for 34 minutes in a Bain Marie. You can place the Bain Marie in the oven if it's easier to control the temperature. Keep them in the warm water after cooking to maintain the temperature.
Clean potatoes under cold water and brush them to eliminate dirt.
Heat the oven to 190 C, and roast the small potatoes, in their skins, with a pinch of salt and some olive oil for 20 minutes.
Keep them warm and let them rest for 10 minutes, then peel and mash them with a fork. Season with olive oil, fleur de sel and freshly ground white pepper and keep warm.
Cut the large potatoes into regular wedges with the skin on. Place them on an oven tray without any oil or salt and roast them until they are a nice golden brown on all sides, stirring them regularly to prevent sticking on the tray. They must be well colored, which will give the broth its taste.
Cover the potatoes with mineral water and simmer the broth on a very low heat for at least half an hour to make an infusion. If the heat is too strong, the broth will be opaque. Pour this infusion through a sieve to produce a very clear broth.
Boil it until it has reduced by one-third, then add truffle juice, lemon juice and season with salt and white pepper. 		Mix finely chopped truffles and fresh chives into the mashed potatoes and place on a plate.
Place an egg on top, peeled delicately inside the water to make it easier to manipulate, and crown it with a slice of truffle, drops of olive oil and fleur de sel.
Serve it with the broth.

I hope you enjoy it. Bon appetit.

Alfonso Alés is consulting chef at the Hotel Hoffmeister, located at Pod Bruskou 7, Prague 1-Malá Strana. Tel. 251 017 111.


Other articles in Night & Day (17/01/2007):

Browse the Current Issue

If you enjoyed this article, why don't you subscribe to the print version!
We accept secure online transactions provided by PayPal and Moneybookers

Be the first to add a comment!


Full Name: *
City: *
E-mail: **
This comment can be published in the print version of The Prague Post
Enter the text on the right:
 visual captcha
Comment: *
* Required field. In order to be approved for display, comments must have a first and last name and a city.
** E-mails are required and will only be used for internal purposes.

Most visited in Business Listings

Provokator
Hotel booking
The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in
The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic.
To subscribe to the print paper, click here.
Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.