Black truffles are one of the most expensive caviar in the world. It is a very popular dish at some of the best restaurants in the world and is most likely to be found on the menu of a Michelin star restaurant. In fact it is not uncommon to see people in Italy asking for a black truffle and a slice of white cheese and eating them together.
As you probably know, black truffles are an endangered species, they are being eaten by humans at very high levels and not too long ago they were listed as one of the six most endangered species in the world. Most people are very good at spotting and enjoying black truffles but unfortunately are not as good at preserving the species.
One thing that many people do not realize is that black truffles do not necessarily have to be smoked. They can also be preserved in brine, which is salt water with high concentrations of nutrients. In fact any vegetable or fruit can be preserved in brine, this includes chocolate and walnuts.
The first thing that you will need to know about black truffle salt is that the way you prepare the salt is quite important. The salt in its natural state will have a brown color, so you will need to have it unrefined and contain no nitrates or sulphates in order to keep the concentration of the truffles' natural flavonoids at optimal levels. It should be done before you actually salt the caviar.
So if you have decided to add some black truffle salt to your caviar, what is the procedure? Well, first off you need to purchase a ceramic or metal bowl to hold the salt.
Next you will need to measure the amount of salt you will need. It should be about half of the weight of the caviar that you are going to be cooking. So, if your caviar is going to be two ounces you will need to measure four ounces of salt.
Now after you have your salt, you will need to put the salt into a bowl or whatever you are using for storage and cover it with a plastic food container that has been air tight and labeled. A lid will also help you keep the salt in place, especially when you are cooking your black truffle caviar.
After you have your bowl, you will now need to heat the truffle salt in the microwave. You will want to start off at 100% power but you can dial back to medium until the truffle salt reaches the proper temperature. A precise method for measuring this amount is by holding the bowl by the handle with one hand and a kitchen thermometer with the other.
The last step is to set up your apparatus for cooking the black truffle salt. Some people may use a fine mesh strainer, while others prefer to use a large mixing bowl. Whatever way you choose, make sure that it will have enough room to hold the salt and the caviar that you are going to be cooking.
Now your best bet for preparing your black truffle sea salt is to have it sit in the refrigerator overnight. You may want to cook it in the morning but this is not strictly necessary as the salt will retain the flavor of the caviar longer if it has been sitting in the refrigerator overnight. You should however not eat it right away, since you will need to let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours before you can be certain that the salt will not affect the taste of the caviar.
After you have your black truffle salt stored in the refrigerator overnight, the next step is to begin to cook your caviar. Remember that the final taste of your black truffle salt depends on how the caviar is cooked and how long it is held at a specific temperature.
So you will want to cook your caviar about 2 hours before you serve it, which means your cooking time will be very similar to the cooking time of your wine. this is about thirty to forty-five minutes.