Pecorino Truffle Gratin
The truffles add richness and depth to this special dish. Serve it in winter, with filet mignon and a fresh green salad.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6 to 8
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- 1 black truffle, shaved
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1½cups aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Pecorino Tartufo cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat, and then sauté the shallots until they are softened.
Put chicken broth on the stove or in the microwave and heat to just under the boiling point. Turn to low and keep warm.
Layer half the potatoes on the bottom of an oiled 9” × 13” baking dish or 10” gratin dish. Spread shallots evenly over the potatoes, and then layer with shaved truffles. Layer with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine Asiago and garlic until well mixed, then set aside. Pour warm broth over the top of the layered potatoes, then sprinkle Asiago and garlic mixture evenly over the top.
Cut butter into small cubes and dot the surface of the gratin with butter. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and cover baking dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake for 40 minutes, uncover, and continue baking until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes longer. Top with grated Pecorino Tartufo, return to oven, and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Pecorino Tartufo
If you want to get a hint of how this dish will taste, buy some Pecorino Tartufo, slice it, and hold it to your nose. You'll smell earthy, roasted, and full-flavored aromas. Tartufo means with truffles, so Pecorino Tartufo is an unpressed Italian sheep's-milk cheese studded with shaved, black truffles. It is medium-aged and lends itself to grating and quick melting.
