- 20 beautiful purple asparagus spears from the Nice region
- 20 fine leeks
- 1 litre poultry white stock
- 40 g black truffle (1)
- 5 cl olive oil
- 20 g butter
- Balsamic vinegar of Modena
- Sherry vinegar
- Atlantic fleur de sel
- Fine salt
- Freshly milled pepper
Difficulty: 3
- Peel the asparagus and cut them to uniform length. Trim the leek roots at the base and just the ends of the greens.
- Bring 80 cl of white stock to a boil in a saucepan. Cook the leeks for 20 minutes.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 4-5 minutes after it resumes boiling. Drain the asparagus and leeks.
- Trim the truffle for a regular shape. Mash the trimmings with a fork. Cut 8 thin slices and reserve the rest.
- Place asparagus in a sauté pan, add leeks, crushed trimmings, 8 truffle slices, olive oil, butter, and 10 cl white stock. Season with salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, swirling the pan clockwise regularly.
- The emulsion is delicate; if fat separates, add more stock. Success relies on speed—this step takes just 5 minutes.
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to round out the sauce and sherry vinegar to brighten it. Adjust seasoning.
- Grate remaining raw truffle over the dish, sprinkle with fleur de sel grains, and serve immediately.
Source: Recipe by Franck Cerutti (L’Atelier d’Alain Ducasse)
