Barefoot Contessa's Scrambled Eggs with Truffles

Ever since my boyfriend brought me back truffles from his trip to Italy, I've been looking for new ways to use them. Luckily, one of my Christmas gifts yielded a new and wonderful recipe that calls for truffles.

I was lucky enough to receive two Barefoot Contessa cookbooks for Christmas - Barefoot in Paris and Back to Basics, her latest. I've been thoroughly enjoying them, making a ton of recipes from both books. (Sidenote: Ina Garten is just so great. She and Dorie Greenspan are tied for my all-time favourite kitchen goddesses - they can do anything in the kitchen and almost everything they make looks so good!)

Barefoot in Paris includes a recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Truffles, which I found to be a perfect application for truffles. More than that, it showed me a new way to make scrambled eggs. The eggs are combined with half and half cream and slow-cooked over a water bath. Typically, when making scrambled eggs, I combine eggs with a bit of milk and butter. Ina Garten's got a passion for butter, cream, and big portions, though, so I wasn't surprised that this recipe called for 16 eggs and 1 cup of cream - and that's to serve only 4 people.

These eggs are very smooth and creamy, and would work very well without the truffles - the truffles give just a hint of flavour as-is. I also think these would be fantastic with a bit of fresh herbs - thyme or chives sound particularly tempting. Give them a shot, with or without truffles. Read on for the recipe.

Scrambled Eggs with Truffles
Serves 4 to 5

1 black truffle
16 extra large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4-5 slices toast

Beat eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper together in a heat-proof glass bowl until combined but not frothy. Shave the truffle into the egg mixture with a truffle shaver or mandoline. If you have time, cover with plastic wrap and sit in fridge for few hours.

When ready to serve, set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook over the water, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the eggs are thick and custardy. The spoon will stand up in the middle of the eggs when they are properly cooked. This will take about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately.

Place one slice of toast on each place and serve with the cooked eggs.