Roasted Black Truffled Dates
with a honey dijon sauce & balsamic glaze
Fresh black truffles are kind of a major thing here in the Get the Fork Out Kitchen. These little gems of deliciousness are one expensive treat that I was lucky enough to receive as a birthday gift over the weekend from my boyfriend.
They have always been one of those, “I wish I could afford” ingredients that I would hee and haw over wishing and hoping that one day I could cook with. Well, my boyfriend obviously listened to my woes of want and gave me one of the greatest gifts ever.
First and foremost, let’s get a few explanations out of the way before we get into the gist of things. For those who don’t know, truffles are an incredibly pungent mushroom that grow under the ground and off the roots of trees. They look similar to little hard clods of dirt and have a very strong savory flavor, which varies by variety and age. Did I mention that they can cost upwards of $2500 a kilo. YIKES! Don’t fret however because my two ounces were plenty enough to create three solid dishes of yuuuuum with.
Truffles have an intense aromatic fragrance and earthy taste that is difficult to describe—it is something that really needs to be experienced by the person eating them. They overall have an amazing and unique taste that is unlike anything I have had before. It is like eating pure decadence with every forkful.
I know I am guilty of getting a little over zealous in the kitchen when I am given an amazing ingredient, but it is important to note that a little goes a long way with truffles. So keep in mind…LESS IS MORE when cooking with them. Let me repeat myself…LESS IS MORE.
These decadent appetizers are a taste of luxury that will wow anyone with just one bite. Originally made with figs, we opted to swap them out with some fresh Mejool Dates, which are just as delicious, if not more. Sweet and salty with a hint of some sassy tang and an intense aromatic earthy truffle taste, these roasted black truffled dates will wow the toughest critic of them all.
Ingredients: Yields 24 treats
- 12 slices Proscuitto, cut in half lengthwise
- 24 Mejool Dates, pitted
- 4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 – 4.5 ounce packages of fresh goat cheese, log form (should get about 8 slices per log)
- 1 large Fresh Black Truffle, shaved in slices
- Sea Salt/ Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Beet Micro Greens to top
- Balsamic Glaze
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix the mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pit from the dates by slicing them in half, but still leaving them connected. Place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and fill each date with the mustard honey mixture. Bake the dates for about 12-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until heated through and slightly soft.
- When the dates are almost cooked, cut the log of goat cheese into eight equally sized rounds. Fry the goat cheese in a skillet over medium heat. Brown on each side.
- Meanwhile, remove the dates from the oven and wrap the prosciutto slices around the hot dates.
- To serve, place the fried goat cheese on the plates and put a large truffle slice on each piece of goat cheese. Put a prosciutto wrapped date on each truffle slice. Sprinkle the remaining truffle slices around the dates, drizzle generously with extra honey mustard mixture, top with the balsamic glaze and the beet micro greens.
