1. Truffles with Cabbage A step-by-step recipe and cooking tips
Jean-Michel Lorain, La Côte St-Jacques
1.1. Summary
1-hour
220° C (425° F)
Over 1-hour
1.2. Ingredients
Serves 4
4 truffles, 18 g (1/2 oz.) each
50 g (2 oz.) chicken meat
50 g (2 oz.) pork meat
100 g (3.5 oz.) fat unsmoked bacon
300 g (10 oz.) caul fat
1.3. Preparation
1.3.1. First make the forcemeat stuffing
Grind the chicken, pork and unsmoked bacon.
Mix together in a bowl. Add the egg yolk, cream, cognac, port and
a little truffle juice.
Season with salt and pepper.
1.3.2. Preparing the cabbage
Remove any damaged or overly green leaves from the cabbage. Use
only pale green unblemished leaves.
Remove them from the cabbages and cook in boiling salted water.
Keep them slightly crisp and refresh in ice water.
Place the cabbage leaves one on top of the other; press them to
extract any remaining water - this step is very important since it
affects the weight and flavour.
Cut the leaves in half, removing the large central vein.
Set aside in a dry towel in the refrigerator so that it absorbs
any moisture.
1.3.3. Preparing the vegetables and bacon
Cut the carrots, onion, celery and smoked bacon into 1 cm (3/8")
dice.
Sauté in a saucepan with 20 g (4 tsp.) butter; do not let them
colour.
Add 50 ml (3 tbsp.) chicken stock and cook gently until the
vegetables are soft. Set aside until serving time.
1.3.3.1. Cooking Tips
If the bacon is too salty or smoky, blanch it first: place it into
boiling water and leave it until the water returns to the boil.
Since the bacon is already salty, season the dish only at the very
end as needed.