have truffles? will travel. have sage? i travel with that, too. these truffles started their journey in piedmont and then arrived in hoboken. next, they came with me into nyc and then out to summit. as for the sage? that started out in nj. then, it came into the city and again back out to summit. anyway, i liked the idea of combing the two and making my own truffle butter. with real truffles. ’tis the season for fresh truffles, and lucky for my diners, i work at an italian truffle company. that being said, there are so many people with so much less right now, and despite some time without electricity, heat, and hot water, i am truly one of the lucky ones. sandy has caused such devastation and heartbreak, and sharing meals with loved ones has become that much more meaningful over the past couple of weeks. with all that everyone had going on, meals together – every single night last week – were a welcome reprieve. some nights i cooked. some nights we went out. but we were all together, and having people there that matter is what it’s really all about.
yields: 6 servings
the ingredients:
1 oz. fresh burgundy truffle (available from paq new york)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/8 tsp. kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
2 scant tbsp. fresh sage (chopped; plus leaves for garnish)
5 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (preferably drumsticks and legs)
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup organic white truffle oil (available from paq new york)
the method:
preheat the oven to 400.
with a sharp knife or mandoline, shave enough truffle to chop and fill a tablespoon. then, in a small bowl, combine the butter, salt, sage, and truffle.
rest each piece of chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan, skin-side up. tuck a little bit of butter under each piece’s skin – there’s enough for each, so try to distribute the butter as proportionately as possible. next, generously season all of the pieces with salt and pepper (chicken doesn’t have much flavor naturally, so don’t be stingy here). drizzle the olive oil evenly over the chicken, and stick the roasting pan in the oven.
roast for 40-45 minutes, checking to make sure it’s cooked properly (the usda minimum cooking temperature for chicken is 165, so you can test it with a meat thermometer, or cut off a tiny piece with a knife, which i usually do). switch the oven to broil, and broil the chicken for just a couple of minutes to make the skin nice and crispy.
remove the chicken from the oven, and transfer it to a serving platter. garnish with a few sage leaves. then, pour any remaining juices over the top of the chicken. using a mandoline, shave the remainder of the truffle over the chicken. serve, and enjoy.