Burgundy black truffle and Gruyère toasted “cheese soldiers” with a soft-boiled, truffled egg, Cyprus black sea salt

By George Francisco

Serves six

Ingredients:

6 fresh eggs, best possible quality

12 thin slices of fresh baked sandwich bread

1 fresh black or white truffle, approximately 30 grams or more

60g Fontina cheese, sliced

90g butter, unsalted, softened

6g Cyprus black sea salt

Method:

One week before making this dish place six whole fresh eggs in an airtight container with the black or white truffle. Eggs and truffle must be very fresh. Store this container in your refrigerator until ready to serve, one to two weeks at most. The eggs will be infused by the flavour of the truffle.

Heavily butter all slices of bread using all of the softened butter. Place the sliced Fontina cheese on one side of the bread and top with thin slices of truffle. Cover one side of bread with the cheese and the truffle slices. Put the top piece of bread on the bottom to create a sandwich. Brown the sandwich on both sides and bake in the oven until cheese is melted.

In the meantime place the truffle infused eggs carefully into boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes 30 seconds and remove. Cut the toasted cheese sandwiches into “soldiers”. Cut the top off of the cooked eggs then add a pinch of the black sea salt to the inside. If there is any truffle left julienne it and add it to the egg as well. Serve the truffle cheese “soldiers” on the side for dipping into the truffled egg.