Anybody know how to use truffel oil?

[flamin lib]

I got a gift card for Williams Sonoma and among other things I got a very small but expensive bottle of white truffle oil. Tried it on pasta. Seriously unimpressed. I must be doing something wrong.

Anybody out there got a good use for this stuff?

[The empressof all]

1. I'm not a big truffle oil fan

I think a sprinkle on Pasta Primavera could be lovely. You'd want to use it on foods that lean towards the bland side. The flavor of the truffles in the oil would not stand up with strongly flavored sauces with tomatoes or garlic. One quick and easy way to enjoy the truffle oil is to use it on a simple omlette maybe made with mushroom and goat cheese.

Another option would be to make a white pizza with truffle oil as a topper.

You might want to taste a bit of the oil plain to assess it's concentration. It can give you an idea of how strong the flavor is or even if you like it.

You also don't want to cook the oil--Like sesame oil it is a flavoring so should be added as a finish to a dish.

Personally, I don't get the truffle love---9 times out of 10 when I've had meals with truffles they tasted like dirt to me.

[Tab]

2. I have used it on steaks

I didn't like it on pasta, but a slight amount on a salad was good if there were some complemtal walnuts and raisins. For me it worked best on steak, but I haven't experimented with it a ton.

Regardless, it seems to be quite strong, so I don't use it much, and when I do use it, I use very little.

[Warpy]

3. I love truffles

in very small amounts in dishes that really need that earthy undertone.

I've never had anything I particularly enjoyed truffle oil on. What's earthy and rich in a dish with truffles tastes like chemicals with the oil.

I guess I'll pass.

[Richard Steele]

4. Yeah, you need to reserve it for guests who truly appreciate it.

Some people are just THRILLED with the Truffle Oil;
some folks aren't.

If I had a small bottle of pricey truffle oil, I'd
serve my guests a fresh spinach/mushroom/green onion salad
in a lightly-salted vinagrette, and let them pass the truffle oil
around amongst themseles.

I'm one of those folks who just doesn't "get" what the big deal
with truffles is, but I appreciate the fact that other people do.

I once had an omelette that was prepared with a few shavings worth
of some seriously expensive Black Truffle.
The omelette was half the size of my hand, it cost 75 dollars,
and it wasn't any better than the skillet-filling omelletes
I made at home with the generic "no name" supermarket white mushrooms
every morning for about $4 a pop.

So, truffles are a "thing"...a thing I don't "get".

[flamin lib]

5. Great ideas all. Thanks so much for the suggesstions. I'll start with

a steak this afternoon.