Every home cook and professional chef has their own favorite ingredient, spice, seasoning, etc. For me the one must have ingredient I always make sure is in the cupboard is truffle salt. It’s great with anything on eggs, meats, in sauces, on popcorn, with potatoes, risotto, macaroni and cheese, and pasta. You’d be hard pressed to find something it would add some depth to. I find it adds an extra layer of flavor that mingles in with the salt. Two seasonings in one! Forget garlic mashed potatoes. Season your potatoes with some truffle salt and you’ll never go back. Scrambled eggs and omelets never tasted better. Mix it in some butter and put some on your steak while it’s resting. Throw it on some chicken or in the sauce/gravy you’re making from the pan drippings (you do that with your chicken right? make a quick gravy while it’s resting? who am I kidding, of course you do).
Now the reason truffle salt is my favorite secret seasoning is because I love truffles. I know it’s not everyone’s bag (a fungus loved by pigs, come on you’re joking!) but man they are so delicious. And man are they expensive! This is why I rely on truffle salt for adding a subtle truffle flavor to whatever it is I’m making. Like all seasonings it does lose potency over time so don’t be afraid to use it. [Side roam: The best truffle dish I ever had was in Rome. It was in a restaurant called Pietro near Piazza Navona and they had two prices for everything on the menu; one price without “tartufi” and one with. I don’t recall it being too many euros more for the tartufi. Not enough to deter me from ordering “with.” When our hostess came over she just started shaving a big truffle onto my pasta and told me to say “when.” It was absolutely wonderful. The smell, the taste…squisito! Excuse me………………………….]
Ok, back to the truffle salt. It’s not inexpensive, but it’s not overly expensive and a little jar goes a long way too. Amazon has a bunch of different brands and it’s way more affordable than an actual truffle (which I have often considered buying when winter rolls around but can never justify it…go ahead Cheryl give me the ok, I’ll do it, really I will, think of the eggs I’ll make for you!). Anyway, do what I always do, put some truffle salt on your Amazon Wish List. I guarantee someone will get it for you, and from that moment you’ll always have one on your wish list. Maybe even two.
PS – speaking of flavored salts this recipe for making Veal Salt at home is simple, and experiment a little by altering the stock/liquid to make any flavor salt you’d like
The Roaming GastroGnome 