To broil Truffles.
The Truffle being brought in fresh, wash it well, and cut off the rough Coat on the outside: some of these will be as large as one's Fist, and they are the best for this purpose; but let them be of any size, as soon as the Coat is off, cut them through a little more than half-way, and put Pepper and Salt into the opening, and close it again; then wrap up each Truffle in wet Paper close, and broil them over a gentle Fire of Wood-Embers till you judge they are enough, which will be as soon as they are very hot quite through; let them be turn'd as occasion requires, that they may be all equally done, and then serve them to the Table in a folded Napkin. This is a very good way of eating them, but the other I have more frequently eaten.
To Stew Truffles in Wine.
The Truffles must be peel'd from the rough Coat on the outside, and well-wash'd; then cut your Truffles into Slices, and stew them in White wine, or Claret, which you please, with Salt, Pepper, and a Bay-leaf; or in the lieu of that, some Jamaica Pepper, and serve them. White-wine for this use is generally preferred.
To Stew Truffles after another manner.
Gather Truffles, peel them and wash them, and then cut them in Slices, after which fry them a little in a Stew-pan, with either Butter or Hog's-Lard, and a little Wheat-Flower; then take them out and drain them, and put them again in a Stew-pan with Gravey, a bunch of Sweet-Herbs, some Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg grated; and when they have stewed a little in this, strain the Liquor, and dish them for the Table, garnished with Slices of Lemmon. Besides this way, they may be used in the same manner as Fowls are stewed or fricasseed, with brown or white Sauces, after they have been soften'd a little by boiling.
While I am speaking of the Truffle, I may well enough mention the Receipts for the management of the Morille. Altho' the Morille grows in April, which is the only time when it may be gather'd fresh, yet one may dress the dry'd ones now, by first softening them in warm Water and Salt for three or four Minutes; but, as observ'd before, they are best fresh gather'd. And again, I chuse to put the Receipts for their Management in this place, because they are so near a-kin to the Truffle. In the first place, I shall speak of drying them, which I have done in England, after the following manner: Gather, and wash them, and when they are well drain'd, then lay them in a Dish, and dry them by degrees in a gentle Oven; and when they are throughly dry, keep them in a dry place, and in a cover'd earthen glazed Pot; but when they are fresh, order them according to the following Receipts. And I am the more ready to give these to the Publick, because all such who know the nicest way of eating, may nor be disappointed in their Travels thro' England, and denied at the Inns such things as perhaps are as agreeable in that way, as any in the Country. Particularly I remember at Newberry, or Spinhamland, in the publick Road to Bath, I was at the most publick and noted Inn in that Road, and had got some very good Mushrooms, and the People there were of opinion that they were poisonous, or else did not know how to dress them, and by no means they would send them to the Table. I say, if such mistakes can be made in a place where so many People of fashion travel continually, it is not likely that Morilles or Truffles will be received with more favour than my Mushrooms; and I believe that some of the greatest Niceties of our Country may ever remain unknown, without a Work of this nature, which I have pick'd up inch by inch, viz. in my Travels. And besides, considering the strange disagreeable Compositions which one meets with in some of our Travels, as Sugar with a pickled Trout, and many more as ridiculous; I think this little Piece of Work not unworthy my Time. Again, there are many Families in England which have plenty about them, and do not know what to do with it; and therefore I think this the more necessary. But to come to my point, the Morille may be dress'd when it is either fresh or blanch'd in warm Water, according to the following Receipts, which I had from France.
To make a Ragout of Morilles.
The Morilles being fresh gather'd, take off the Roots, and wash them in many Waters, for the Wrinkles in their Tops harbour a great deal of Dirt and Sand; then slit them lengthways, and fry them a little in a Stew-pan, with Butter or Hogs-Lard, letting either be very hot when you put in the Morilles; then let them drain, and put them in a fresh Stew-pan with Gravey, in which shred some Parsley and Cherville very small, with a young Onion, some Salt, and a little Nutmeg: let these stew gently, and send them to the Table garnish'd with slices of Lemmon, or they may be sent to the Table in Cream, as we have already mentioned concerning other things in the same manner.
To fry the Morilles.