Last night I attended a Truffle & Wine Dinner at St. Jacques Restaurant in Raleigh. It was such a popular event that they added a second evening (first dinner was on Tuesday.) The truffle products used were from Susan Rice whom I have met several times. These were summer truffles. http://www.susanricetruffles.com/
For the amuse bouche we had a small savory Gougere stuffed with truffle cream cheese accompanied by flutes of Carousel Sparkling Blanc de Blanc from the Loire Valley. (I ordered two bottles of the sparkling wine after the last wine dinner at St. Jacques)
Next up, with refills of the Carousel, homemade cannelloni filled with mushroom and fresh truffle stuffing served on a mushroom and brandy butter. A rich dish, but delicious.
An inventive next course was Oeuf Brouille "A La Truffe"--truffle and scrambled eggs served "a la coque" with roasted smoked bacon tuile. A puff pastry encasing for the egg mixture. Delicate truffle taste and aroma. The wine poured was a nice 2008 VERDILLAC SAUVIGNON BLANC, BORDEAUX, FRANCE. The white Bordeaux from Verdillac is usually 70% or more Sauvignon Blanc grapes blended with some Semillon. It is good QPR at $10 in the local retail outlets.
A palate cleanser of Pinot Noir and cinnamon sorbet followed. I didn't like this as well as the usual grapefruit and rosemary sorbet or lemon sorbet. As someone remarked, it tasted like Christmas.
A very rich entree followed of free-range chicken breast stuffed with truffle and finished in a foie gras and truffle cream. A couple glazed carrots on top of a blini and two tiny potato logs wrapped in bacon accompanied the chicken breast. The wine was 2008 LES LYS VOUVRAY, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE. This had some sweetness and I prefer the Saumur which is also on Lil's wine list at St. Jacques.
Dessert was a combination plate of chocolate and truffle eclair and baby truffle creme brulee. The homemade pate a choux eclair was stuffed with chocolate and fresh truffle oil creme patissiere topped with a light vanilla and candied lemon zest glazing. You could taste the delicate lemon flavoring. A small truffle creme brulee finished the dish.
Wine was GRAHAM'S 6 GRAPES "RESERVE" PORTO. A little too sweet for my taste buds.
Claire, born in Italy and lived many years in Fontainebleau, France was there representing Susan Rice. Claire's husband is Swedish. Also at my table was a couple who moved to the area from Boston. He is of Dutch origin. Another two ladies at the table were on Lil Lacassagne's trip to Provence last summer (I went with my sister in 2008.)
Two of the people had worked at North Carolina State University. Fun evening.