Chef Robin Kort shared with us this delicious Avgolemono Soup With Truffle recipe. One of the best recipes from Chef Robin Kort’s Coastal Forager’s Cookbook features truffles which are a type of aromatic underground mushroom. The recipe is for a steamy truffle soup, a great warm-up for when it’s cold outside. Fresh truffles should be shaved over the hot soup to preserve their sometimes delicate aroma. Never overcook a truffle! To learn more about foraging for wild edible mushrooms, plants and seaweeds in the Pacific Northwest, check out the field trips, online courses and pop-up restaurants offered by Chef Robin Kort here.
Avgolemono Soup With Truffle
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) white vinegar
- 9 large eggs, divided
- 8 cups (2 L) chicken stock
- 3 cups (330 mL) cooked arborio rice
- 5 Tbsp (75 mL) lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
- Salt and white pepper
- 1 baguette, sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cracked salt
- 1 (1 oz/25 g) fresh white or black truffle
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) finely diced chives or parsley stems
Directions:
1. Place about 2 inches (5 cm) of water in a wide nonstick pan, add the vinegar and bring to a boil to poach 6 of the eggs.
2. For foolproof pretty poached eggs, crack 3 of the eggs into a fine sieve to drain off the more watery egg white and then put them gently into a small bowl. Crack the other 3 and place them in another bowl. Add each bowl of eggs to opposite sides of the boiling water in the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon after 3–4 minutes for soft poached (recommended for this recipe) and place on a plate.
3. Bring the stock to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium to bring it to a simmer, add the cooked rice, and cook for 20 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 eggs and the lemon juice. Very slowly, whisk 1 cup (250 mL) of hot broth into the eggs.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low on the stove Slowly add the egg mixture to the broth, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened. It will change from transparent to more opaque when it’s ready. You can also check the consistency by swiping your finger down the spoon. When it’s done, it should be similar in texture to half-and-half cream. Be careful not to overcook it as it will curdle. The broth will thicken further as it cools. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, toast the bread to make crostini. Put the warm crostini on a side plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cracked salt.
7. Pour the soup into bowls, add the poached egg, and thinly grate the truffle overtop. Use a truffle slicer to get the thinnest slices possible. Barring that, use a microplane or cheese grater.
8. Garnish with the chives and serve hot to enjoy that gorgeous truffle aroma. ®
9. If possible, make your own stock for this recipe. You’ll definitely taste the difference.
Tips: If you can’t find fresh truffles, buy the smallest bottle of good white truffle oil you find and add about 5 drops to each bowl.
