Truffle and Potato Surprise with Coarse Salt
Ingredients
- 2 attractive oval potatoes, each about 160 grams (5 oz)
- 2 truffles, preferably fresh, or preserved, each about 20 grams (3/4 oz)
- 60 gram (2 oz) butter, melted
- 40 gram (1 1/2 oz) clarified butter
- a handful of coarse cooking salt, for serving
- fine salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
The potatoes wash in cold water and peel with a sharp knife, shaping them into neat egg-shaped ovals. Halve lengthways and scoop out the insides with a parisienne baller to make a large enough cavity to hold a truffle. Brush the insides of the potatoes with plenty of melted butter and season lightly with salt and pepper. Wash truffles if they are fresh. Place a truffle in one potato half and cover with the other half, to restore. Heat the oven to 220C or 425F. Heat the clarified butter in a small frying pan, put in the potatoes and sear over high heat until golden brown all over. Wrap the potatoes in foil squares and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning them over after 15 minutes to brown both sides. Remove the foil and cut the string. Place the potatoes on two small warmed plates, with a good pinch of coarse salt beside them. Take the potatoes to the table, then with a very sharp knife, cut them open lengthways or if you prefer, slice into thick rounds like hard-boiled egg