Home ← Back to all articles ← Back to all recipes ← Recipes: Starters ← Zucchini Velouté with Autumn Truffle

Zucchini Velouté with Autumn Truffle (Tuber uncinatum)

Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Serves: 4

The natural sweetness of zucchini makes an ideal backdrop for autumn truffle. Unlike more assertive vegetables, it never competes with the characteristic woodland and hazelnut notes of Burgundy truffle. Creamy fresh cheese adds a silky texture while gently enveloping the truffle’s subtle aromas.

Ingredients

• 800 g to 1 kg firm zucchini

• 40–50 g fresh autumn truffle (Tuber uncinatum)

• 1 large shallot (or 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced)

• 100 g mascarpone (or very mild, non-tangy cream cheese)

• 600 ml light chicken stock or mild vegetable stock

• 25 g unsalted butter

• 1 drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

• Fleur de sel and freshly ground white pepper

Method

Cook the vegetables

Wash the zucchini and cut them into thick rounds, leaving the skin on. In a saucepan, sweat the sliced shallot in the butter and a drizzle of olive oil over low heat, without browning. Add the zucchini and season lightly with salt. Pour in enough hot stock to just cover the vegetables (reserve any excess to adjust the consistency later). Cover and simmer for about 15–20 minutes, until the zucchini are very tender.

Blend and finish

Remove the pan from the heat. Using a blender, purée the vegetables while incorporating the mascarpone, until the velouté is perfectly smooth and silky. If needed, add a little of the reserved stock to thin it. Adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Infuse with autumn truffle

Let the velouté cool slightly for 3–4 minutes off the heat; it should remain hot but not boiling, so the truffle’s delicate aromas are not diminished. Finely grate or chop two-thirds of the truffle into a fine brunoise and add it directly to the velouté. Stir gently to release and distribute the aromas through the fat.

Serve

Ladle the velouté into warmed soup plates or wide bowls. Using a truffle slicer, shave the remaining truffle into thin, even slices over each serving.
Finish with a few drops of mild olive oil and a pinch of fleur de sel. Serve immediately.