Truffle Sauce - French and Italian

Truffle Sauce – the French way. Excellent with red meat

Ingredients
1 leek finely chopped
1 3/4 cups finely chopped shallot
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups dry white wine
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/4 oz black truffles, finely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups heavy cream 
1/4 teaspoon black truffle oil

Method
Wash chopped leek in a bowl of cold water and drain. Cook leek, shallot, and garlic in a heavy saucepan, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add wine, thyme, and truffles and boil, uncovered, until most of liquid is evaporated, this will take about 10 minutes. 
Add stock and boil until reduced to about 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 3/4 cups, about 40 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into another saucepan, pressing on and discarding solids. Whisk in truffle oil and season with salt and pepper.

This sauce can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat over low heat stirring.  

Truffle Sauce – the Italian Way. Serve with tagliatelle or poached chicken

Ingredients
2 black truffles
3 Anchovies finely chopped
150 ml light olive oil (you need to use a delicately flavoured oil so the truffle flavour dominates.
Lemon Juice

Method
Clean the truffles with a damp brush (a toothbrush works well). Grate into a bowl and add the anchovies. Stir in the olive oil to make a fairly runny sauce. Add a dash of lemon juice just before serving.

Visit next week for Tagliatelle all’antica con Tartufi (Tagliatelle with truffles)