Truffles, truffle oil, and other truffle-infused products are very expensive. And so, I was very excited to receive two bottles of infused white truffle oil from my sister when she came home to Manila for a visit last year. Knowing how pricey truffle oil is, I was very selective in its use, reserving it for special meals and occasions.
In my being careful, I didn’t realize that the last bottle remaining would already expire in a month’s time. I still had something like 3/4 of a bottle left. Hence, it makes sense then that I already finish it. Lest, I end up wasting it.
There’s so much a person can do with truffle oil, and restaurants in Manila have embraced truffle as the latest “IT” ingredient. So what do I do here at home? I woke up late yesterday, and what I don’t like so much about waking up very late is having brunch. I don’t like brunch so much. Brunch means having just one instead of two wonderful meals. It’s also a meal that’s neither here nor there. Personally, I find having breakfast meals as too late for brunch (e.g. scrambled eggs, toast, corned beef). And still, I find it early to have lunch food. So what is a guy to do? I combine the best of breakfast and lunch.
My brunch: Truffled steak, eggs, and toast.
In making this brunch, I started by toasting whole-wheat bread, lightly brushed with truffle oil. The truffle oil, of course, gives the bread more flavor, especially considering that plain whole-wheat bread may taste like paper at times. The truffle oil also makes the bread more crunchy.
Then I make scrambled eggs. I just scrambled one egg in a teaspoon of butter and added about a teaspoon and a half of truffle oil. Once the egg is cooked, I added a few more drops of truffle oil. The thing with infused truffle oil is, the truffle flavor often tends to evaporate if the heat is high. So you have to add a few more drops to truffle oil once the eggs — or any dish with truffle oil — is cooked.
Then there’s the steak. I used ribeye steak, which I previously bought at Santis Delicatessen. For me, it’s the best steak you can ever buy in this part of town. Well, I wanted to eat bacon since it was still somehow breakfast, being the first meal of the day. So I wrapped around the bacon on the steak, making in effect, a filet mignon. The steak had been pre-marinated with olive oil, and rubbed with salt and pepper.
Since it was breakfast and I wanted my meal fast, the best option was to use the stove. In my experience, I am able to get a medium-well consistency by cooking each side of the steak for exactly 1 minute and 45 seconds. I use a stop watch for this, as the steak gets well done quickly. Also cook the steak last because to make sure that you get it while its hot and very juicy.
How did it go? It was absolutely perfect. The scrambled eggs were creamy, and the truffle gave the eggs a second level of flavor. The toast had a more subtle hint of truffle. And the steak? It came out just right. Well, between the truffle oil and the steak’s flavor, it’s the steak’s flavor that really and not surprisingly dominates. But, when combined with the toast and egg, they work together and form a brunch party in your mouth. Beautiful!
Hope you can make it for yourself and your family. It’s absolutely delicious! And while it’s a brunch dish, you can have it any time of day. Enjoy!