Asiago & White Truffle Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

1 stick (8oz.) unsalted butter

2 medium cloves garlic

1 cup half & half

1 tablespoon White Truffle Oil

1 cup grated Asiago Cheese

Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Optional: Finely minced, fresh chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Dice potatoes, making sure all are relatively the same size. Place in a large saucepan add the salt, and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes are tender throughout when poked with a fork. Heat the half-and-half, butter and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream-butter mixture, grated Asiago and truffle oil. Stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.

Caramelized Wild Mushroom Ragu over Pecorino Polenta with Truffled Mascarpone

Polenta

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup dried polenta

1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a simmer in a heavy 6+ quart pot. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook on low stirring frequently for approximately 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat an stir in the cheese and olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Wild Mushroom Ragu

3 cups assorted fresh wild mushrooms such as oyster, shitake, cremini, etc. wiped clean, tough stems removed

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

While the polenta is cooking, heat the extra virgin over medium-high in a large 12" saute pan. Add clean, dry mushrooms to the pan. Cook until the mushrooms caramelize and become crusty golden-brown. Add the shallot, and saute for two minutes, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Add the wine and cook scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduced by half. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half. Taste and adjust with salt and fresh pepper if desired.

Truffled Mascarpone

1/2 cup mascarpone

1 teaspoon white truffle oil

Stir the truffle oil in to the mascarpone.

Serve the wild mushroom ragu over the hot polenta. Add a dollop of the truffled mascarpone, a sprinkle of pecorino cheese, and a pinch of minced parsley.