RCP: Stuart's Terrina Fonduta

I was recently reminded of how good this stuff is, so I figured it needed to get over to this board. The next time you get hold of fresh porcini (and I know that's a rare thing for many of us) you MUST make this.

Mike

(From Stuart Yaniger on the old FLDG, 6/13/04):

This is a dish I had at Locanda San Giorgio in Neviglie (near Alba). During truffle season, Locanda is as close to paradise on Earth as I can imagine. The cooking there is super-simple Italian country cuisine executed perfectly. And as such, the dish is easier to outline than to break into a traditional recipe. This is service for two, but you can scale up if you have more ramekins than me.

First, we make a porcini fonduta. Take 2 or 3 medium porcini (you MUST use fresh here), trim, and cut into 4-5mm thick slices. Mince one or two shallots. Mince three or four cloves of garlic. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, then add the shallots and garlic, stir, then add the porcini. Sautee with lots of flipping and stirring until the porcini start releasing some juice and the pan gets some brown stuff starting to form. Deglaze with a splash of white wine, add a few tablespoons of stock, a pinch of chopped sage, salt and pepper, then reduce slightly. Stir in a couple tablespoons of cream or creme fraiche, remove from the heat, then stir in grated fontina until you get a nice, viscous coating on the mushrooms.

Now, we make the terrina. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Put in a bain marie, then add boiling water to it. Take two 200ml (7 oz) ramekins, grease them (I used Pam and a little EVO), then spoon in some fonduta. Put the ramekins in the bain marie for four minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the bain marie, crack one perfect egg into each of them, then put the ramekins back in the bain marie for about 7 minutes, or until the whites are loose but nearly all-white and the yolk has thickened but not hardened at all.

Remove the ramekins from the bain marie, put 2 or 3 drops of white truffle oil on each, a pinch of fleur du sel, a half pinch of pepper, then serve.

We've actually refined this a bit. Maybe you can get a chance to taste our newer version one day.

Basically, we sautee the porcinis, do a deglaze, then put them on the bottom of the ramekin. Then separately, we make a fonduta using a more classical approach: a bechamel with fontina added off the heat. And a touch of nutmeg.


Fonduta:

2 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1-1/2 c milk
salt and pepper
nutmeg
two handfuls grated Italian fontina

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it bubbles up. Then whisk in the flour. Cook while whisking for a minute or two, not enough to brown, but enough to remove the raw flour taste.

Here's the controversial part: adding the milk. I add it cold. Julia Child says add it very hot. Either way, whisk furiously while doing the addition and until any lumps disappear. Add salt and pepper to taste, understanding that the cheese will make things a bit saltier, then a few grates of fresh nutmeg. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens, whisking the whole time. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the cheese.

Fonduta is also great on pasta.

Cool! The original version and the newer refinements both get into the same thread.

I have a feeling I'll like the newer version every bit as much as the older one....


Mike