It’s Friday, and time for my Hip Tip of the week. I have just three words for you, white truffle oil. This unctuous, beguiling homage to both terroir and the overlord of umami, the truffle, is something I cannot do without. My favorite is crafted by La Tourangelle in California under the aegis of Huilerie Croix Verte SAS, in Samur, France. You know when the French and food are involved things will be taken pretty seriously, and La Tourangelle don’t disappoint.
La Tourangelle White Truffle Oil starts with a gentle organic sunflower oil base, perfect as sunflower oil has a very light flavor that doesn’t interfere with the headiness of the truffles. White truffle extract from Alba, Italy is infused into the oil via an old French process. The end product is wonderful, with an incredible depth of flavor and a velvety tongue-feel.
Drizzle over french fries or your favorite omelet, add to macaroni and cheese, stir into roasted garlic mashed potatoes, or paint lightly on pizza (topped simply, with sliced cremini mushrooms and perhaps chopped black olives) with a pastry brush. And when I say lightly, I mean lightly, as a little of this goes a long way. But that’s good, as a bottle will last you a long, long time. Just remember to keep it in the refrigerator to prevent the oil from going rancid.
