Parmesan Truffle Fries
Looking for a unique (and trendy!) side dish? These Parmesan Truffle Fries are tossed with truffle oil and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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Are you familiar with the term agrotourism? Sometimes called ‘agritainment,’ agrotourism is essentially a niche form of tourism. And it describes both me and Laura to a “t.” We joke that our vacations are often planned around food and drink. I’m a history buff myself, so I enjoy the historical side of things, too. But food and drink definitely play a major role in our vacation planning.
A couple of years ago, we rented a car and drove around Scotland. Our trip was largely defined by whiskey (or Scotch as we call it here in the States). Same thing in Belgium. Our trip was defined by a visit to the Biscoff factory and stops at every chocolatier in Brussels. (Ok, maybe not every one…but close!) We also ate our way through about a dozen gouda and old goat cheese (seriously, that’s what it’s called) shops in Amsterdam. Well, we’ve added to that list. Earlier this summer, we took a vacation to Italy. Agrotourism in Italy is easy! After all, it’s Italy, and the food is amazing.
For this trip, we stayed in Venice and Florence, and we took a couple of day trips out of Florence to the surrounding wine country. As we were researching companies that provide day trips, we stumbled across the chance to go truffle hunting. Yes, truffle hunting. In the rolling countryside of Tuscany. For the record, this was hands down one of the coolest experiences we’ve ever had when it comes to agrotourism!
As we learned, truffle hunting is typically done very early in the morning. Like 4-5am early. We get up at that time on a normal day, but we were on vacation! So we opted for a more relaxed truffle hunt around 10am. It was just us, 3 Italian truffle hunters and their 2 dogs. But wait. Dogs? I thought pigs were used for truffle hunting? We learned that (at least in Italy) dogs are far more common than pigs when it comes to sniffing out those diamonds in the dirt. To be fair, these dogs are a specific breed, and they’re highly trained to sniff out truffles…even up to 12″ deep in the ground.
While truffles can be found year-round, the prized (and extremely valuable) white truffles are found in late Autumn. We were visiting in early Summer, so we missed white truffle season. But there were still plenty of black truffles to be found…and eaten! We took our truffles back to a nearby winery where the chef used them to create a 5-course meal where each course featured truffles. And each course had a wine pairing. Now that’s my kind of vacation! (For the record, vanilla gelato topped with truffle honey is amazing. I was skeptical at first, but I’m not skeptical anymore!)
What are truffles?
Truffles actually belong to the fungus family, and they’re found underground near tree roots. Our guides told us that farmers used to find truffles in their fields and mistook them for small potatoes. This must have been really confusing for those farmers who hadn’t planted potatoes! They would discard the truffles to the side when they were plowing their fields. Now truffles are highly valued, and white winter truffles go for about $1,500-$3,000/pound depending on the year.
What do truffles look like?
Well, they don’t look like much, and I can totally see why farmers would’ve discarded truffles. They look like a cross between a lumpy small potato and a mushroom. They certainly don’t look like something that chefs and foodies around the world clamor over!
What do truffles taste like?
In keeping with the potato/mushroom theme, truffles have a distinctly earthy taste. Some might even call it musky. It’s unique, and you have to try it to know it. Raw truffles have the slightly crunchy texture of raw potatoes, but they have a much stronger taste. A little bit of a truffle goes a long way! In fact, truffle-infused oils and honey are a common way to enjoy these delicacies.
How do you cook with truffles?
How do you cook with truffles?Glad you asked! After that rundown of our truffle hunting experience, it’s time to finally get around to actually cooking with truffles! If a little bit of a good thing is good, then a lotta bit of a good thing is better, right? Not so with truffles. As I mentioned above, a little truffle flavor goes a long way. Fresh truffles can be a bit difficult to find unless you’re in a large city or shop in specialty stores. Truffle-infused products, like oils and honey, are more common. In fact, these Parmesan Truffle Fries rely on truffle oil for the truffle flavor.
Parmesan Truffle Fries
Parmesan Truffle FriesEarlier this summer, I had the chance to visit the Certified Angus Beef ® brand culinary center in northeastern Ohio. While we were there, we sampled some amazing steaks, sliders and other beef dishes. But we also tasted some incredible side dishes, including these Parmesan Truffle Fries. For lunch one day, the chefs whipped up some steak sliders and served ’em with Parmesan Truffle Fries. The fries were just dumped on a piece of brown paper in the center of the table, and we all served ourselves family style. I’m pretty sure I alone ate enough of those Parmesan Truffle Fries for an entire family!
This past weekend, I decided to recreate these Parmesan Truffle Fries here at home. These fries are a boardwalk-style rather than the kind you might find at a fast food restaurant. Just a sprinkle of salt is all these fries need to be delicious. But add in some grated Parmesan and truffle oil, and you’ll be in french fry heaven!
If you’ve never tried cooking with truffles, then I hope this post inspires you to give it a shot…starting with these Parmesan Truffle Fries! Enjoy!
Love fries as much as me? Check out some of these other tasty recipes, too!
Chipotle Parmesan Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Parmesan Truffle Fries
Ingredients
- 3 medium Russet potatoes
- canola oil for frying
- ½ Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp white truffle oil
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- fresh Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes and then slice into ⅓” slices. Lay slices flat and slice again in ⅓” strips to create fries. Place fries in large bowl of cold water for at least 1 hour.
- Drain water and pat fries completely dry.
- Pour oil into a deep fry pan or Dutch oven until it is ~2” deep. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat oil over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 375°F. Meanwhile, prepare a tray with 2 layers of paper towels; set aside. (Tip: If you don’t have a deep fry thermometer, then you can drop a pinch of flour into the oil. If it browns and bubbles immediately, then the oil is ready to go!)
- Working in batches, place fries in oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Place cooked fries on paper-towel lined plate to drain.
- Once drained, transfer fries into a large bowl. Add salt and Parmesan cheese and then drizzle truffle oil evenly on top; toss until well-coated.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Hubby and I are the same. Trips are literally revolved around food and every time we come back from one I don’t want to eat for a week I’m that stuffed, lol…totally worth it though. I love truffle oil, especially that funk…know what I mean? And who doesn’t love fries?? This is such a winning combo and definitely something I would devour in 2 minutes flat. These would be so awesome with a glass of vino tonight. P.S. Those truffles are crazy expensive, aren’t they?! Have a great weekend, David!
I’m right there with ya, Dawn! Vacations are all about food. And, yes, when we come back, we’re always stuffed, too! But we typically try to bring back all sorts of foodie stuff with us. Recreating meals is one of our favorite ways to relive vacation memories! 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend. I hope you had a great weekend…and I hope it involved some fries + vino!
Whoa…those are some fancy fries! I’ve never even tried truffles or truffle oil. I guess I need to expand my horizons a bit! 🙂
You should pick up (or order) some truffle oil, Kathy! Truffles are crazy expensive, but truffle oil won’t break the bank. Truffles are a unique flavor, and a little bit of oil goes a long way…but man is it delicious! 🙂
How could a visit abroad not be about the food??!!! And I have most of the restaurants reserved as early as I can. We stayed at an agri turisma in Umbria, where they didn’t hunt truffles but made wine. Sacrifices. I love that truffle hunting dog! So, can you share what brand of white truffle oil you use? I know that some are fake, from Gordon Ramsay.
Yes! We didn’t stay at a vineyard this time, but that would be an awesome idea for the future…say maybe tomorrow? 🙂 I hear ya on the fake white truffle oil. I’ve seen those articles, too. For this recipe, I actually used some truffle oil that we picked up on our trip. I’m pretty sure they only sold it at that farm…or maybe in the area? I’ll have to investigate a new source once this oil runs out though. If you have any thoughts, I’m all ears!
My most recent truffle experience was truffled garlic bread at a local Italian place. OMG it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. But French fries are one of my weaknesses, meaning I think these fries will top that bread easily. I have to try them!
Oooo…truffled garlic bread? I need to know more about this, Kelsie! Can you revisit that restaurant and get their recipe? That would be awesome. 🙂 We don’t make fries at home all that often. They’re easy, but the problem is we ate the entire batch. Oops.
I love hearing about your travels, David! You and Laura definitely find some great adventures abroad. I’d love to go truffle hunting one day!
And these fries have my mouth watering! They look dangerously addictive!
Definitely plan a truffle hunting experience some day, Marissa. Not only is it crazy cool, but it’s just downright fun to see the dogs find truffles. 🙂 Also, yes, these fries were dangerously addictive. So much so that we ate the entire batch. Oops. Haha!
Hi David! I don’t fry foods often, but I would sure make an exception for these! I could easily make a meal of these (a/k/a pig out)! My favorite part of going somewhere new is to explore the local foods. I have the same question as Mimi, what brand of truffle oil do you buy? I know that many are really inferior. Have a greatweekend!
I’m with ya, Dorothy! We don’t fry often here either. Maybe once every couple of months? But when we do fry foods, we make sure that it’s worth it! And these fries? Worth it!! So to answer your question about brand of truffle oil, I unfortunately can’t help too much here. I used truffle oil that we bought at the farm in Italy, and I’m pretty sure the only place to get it is at that farm. Guess you’ll just have to make the trip! Hah! Just kidding. Seriously, though, I’ll have to find a new source for when we run out of this oil. If you come across a good one, please let me know!
Now don’t these look good!
I have a terrible confession to make: I actually don’t much like truffles… I know, there goes all my “foodie” cred. I find the muskiness a bit overwhelming Although a few drops of truffle oil might be nice. As you say, a little goes a long way.
Nope, I get it, Frank! Truffles are a really unique flavor. They are indeed musky, and a little bit goes a long way. A few drops of truffle oil can really change a recipe! We recently tried a bag of truffled almonds…oh man, we could barely eat them, and we like truffles. Hey, they say our taste buds change every 7 years…so you never know! Maybe you’ll end up liking truffles one day. 🙂
Great post David. The first thing it did is remind me of a restaurant in Quebec City where I used to frequent that served Parmesan Truffle Fries. I always order the truffle fries and steak tartare. Then you took me to La Grand-Place in Brussels which made me think of those chocolate dipped waffles. Next to Amsterdam which reminded me of eating tapas along the canals. Finally, to Italy on a truffle hunt. FYI – We use dogs for truffle hunting as well. Thanks for the tour.
Ah, I’ve been wanting to make the trip to Quebec City. I’ve heard it’s a really cool place! It’s funny how our vacation memories are so closely related to food. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though! Whenever we travel, I really enjoy learning about new foods or trying old favorites done a new way. I say take Chloe out and go truffle hunting sometime this week! 🙂
You’d love Quebec City and it’s not so far away for you guys. Our next food journey will be next weekend with a trip to Kivik for seafood, apples and apple wine.
David, Chloe is a bright little dog, but she could tell the difference between a truffle and a hedgehog.
You’re right! It’s about a 5-hour drive north for us, so not too far at all. I’m not sure how Robbie would do with that trip…but there’s only one way to find out! And as far as Chloe, I say go out hunting hedgehogs instead. If nothing else, she’ll love it! 🙂
Oh yes, we are just like you and many others who plan our trips around food. We have driven many a mile out of our way to have lunch at a well known restaurant. Parmesan truffle fries are very addictive…you and I might be fighting over the last one. 😀
I hear ya on Parmesan Truffle Fries being addicting, Karen. We couldn’t stop eating these…until we looked down and they were all gone. Oops! 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend!
Wow -what an adventure y’all had truffle hunting on y’alls last trip to Italy! And the meal that followed is the icing on the cake – or should I say truffle!? 🙂 I’ve enjoyed truffle oil before but never truffle honey and I am so darn intrigued!
Venice and Florence are on our list of places to visit on our next trip to Italy (along with Milan) and I’m going to have to keep my eyes peeled for truffle honey or A restaurant with truffle EVERYTHING!
BTW – I could make a meal off of these truffle fries! So yum!
Truffle honey is really interesting, Shashi! I can’t say I’d ever had it (or even heard about it) until our truffle hunting trip…but it’s really tasty! We brought some back, and it’s amazing drizzled over vanilla ice cream. Yum! You should totally email me for the info on this truffle hunting experience. It was a full day trip out of Florence, but it was so worth it!
Oh my gosh, your truffle hunting excursion sounds like an awesome vacation day to me! I totally plan my trips around food and drink too… We’re just a couple of traveling foodies aren’t we?! 🙂
And I love love LOVE truffle fries… and truffle pizza… and crispy truffle potato chips. So good!
Yes! Traveling based on food really is the best. I mean there’s so much to learn and try…and I’m all about getting out there and seeing it! That truffle hunting trip will seriously be one of our favorite travel experiences of all time. Plus, we got to eat some mighty tasty truffle dishes afterwards…in the cave of a wine cellar no less! 🙂
A 5-course meal!! And with wine too. I’d be intrigued (or probably really nosey) to know exactly what each course was. Ha ha! I’ve never been fortunate enough to eat truffles myself, the closest I’ve come is dipping bread into truffle oil! Fascinating details about truffles David. And of course an excellent recipe too. Yum!
You know, I’ll have to dig back through my photos and notes to see if I have a description of each of the courses. I remember the truffle honey over vanilla gelato since it struck me that truffles don’t often go with dessert. I remember another course was pasta (it was Italy, after all!). I’m a huge fan of the truffle flavor, but you’ve gotta be careful since a little bit goes a long way. It’s tasty though! Thanks so much, Neil!
It sounds like you have had some wonderful trips. Food is always a highlight when I am traveling too. I have never had a chance to try truffles before but would love to try sometime. These Parmesan truffle fries look amazing.
We have indeed been pretty lucky with our trips, Dawn. Of course, anytime delicious food is involved, it’s bound to be a good trip, right? 🙂 Actual truffles are a bit difficult (and expensive) to find, but truffle oil is more affordable. It’s what I used in this recipe, and it’s a great way to bring the truffle flavor to a dish!
With truffle! I need to try this recipe.
It’s a tasty one! Thanks, Rhonda!