One of my favorite appetizers is Fonduta Piemontese, which also makes a lovely luncheon dish. It’s basically an Italian version of fondue from the Piedmont region, and I find it far more interesting than the more traditional Swiss fondue. Unlike the Swiss version, which is served in a communal bowl, Italian fondue is generally served in individual dishes.
The signature cheese for Fonduta Piemontese is Fontina val d’Aosta, Val d’Aosta is the mountainous region adjacent to the Piedmont in the north. Do not try to make this fonduta with either American or Swedish fontina—your results will be extremely disappointing.
Traditionally, Fonduta Piemontese is embellished with white truffles. Because of the outrageous price of truffles, I include a mock truffle recipe, which enhances the fonduta nicely. You can serve it without the mock truffles, but the dish will suffer enormously.
To Go Directly to the Full Recipe, Click Here.
For the Mock Truffles
Make the mock truffles at least 12-24 hours before you intend to serve this dish.
Bring 1 cup of water to the boil. Turn off the heat, and soak the dried porcini mushrooms for about 1 hour.
Soak the porcini.
Drain the mushrooms and dry thoroughly on paper towels.
Dry the porcini.
Chop the porcini finely.
Chop the porcini.
Slice the mushroom caps about 1⁄4-inch thick, discarding the stems.
Slice the mushrooms.
Be certain that they are dry.
My trick for reducing the liquid exuded from mushrooms is to wash and thoroughly dry them 1 day before use. Then let them sit at room temperature overnight. This not only reduces moisture, but also enhances the flavor. Be careful, however, if you do this in very humid weather, the mushrooms can quickly develop mold.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, and sauté the mushrooms until they are nicely browned and almost all of the moisture is evaporated.
Sauté the mushrooms.
When the mushrooms are nearly done, add the chopped porcini mushrooms, and cook a few more minutes until they are cooked through.
Add the porcini.
Place all the contents of the skillet in a small deep bowl.
Press the shallot, then the garlic, through a garlic press.
Press the shallot and garlic.
If you don’t have a garlic press, mince them as finely as possible. Add the shallot and garlic to the mushrooms, plus the salt and pepper, mixing thoroughly. Leave the mixture at room temperature for 6-12 hours. If you have prepared them a day ahead, store them covered in the refrigerator after the 12 hours at room temperature. Remove them at least an hour before preparing the fonduta.
For the Fonduta
Grate the Fontina on the large holes of the grater while the cheese is very cold. Place the grated Fontina in the top of a double boiler. In another pan scald the milk and the heavy cream. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks. Beat 2 tablespoons of the milk and cream into the egg yolks. Add the remaining scalded liquids to the Fontina, and place over simmering, but not boiling, water.
Beat vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not cook beyond this point, or it will become stringy and uneatable. Add the beaten egg yolks, plus the melted butter, to the cheese mixture, stirring constantly until thick and shiny.
NOTE: Do not try to cook the mixture ahead of time and reheat.
Place some of the mock truffles in the bottom of small serving bowls.
Put mock truffles in the bowls.
Pour the cheese mixture on top of the mock truffles, then add more mock truffles on top of each serving.
Serve the Fonduta Piemontese with hot crusty bread or toast for dipping, and a spoon for eating the mock truffles.
