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Truffles, Stewed in Champagne

Take ten or twelve large truffles, soak them for a couple of hours, rinse them in several waters, and scrub them thoroughly. Lay a thin slice of fat bacon at the bottom of a stewpan, put in the truffles, and add half a tea-spoonful of salt, and a little grated nutmeg, and, if liked, a carrot, a turnip, a bunch of green onions, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a bay-leaf, two or three cloves, and a blade of mace. Pour over the truffles a little good veal stock, let them simmer half an hour, then add a bottle of dry champagne, and simmer for another half hour, keeping them very closely covered. They may either be drained, dried, and served cold in a silver dish, or on a dish covered with a napkin, with the sauce served cold in a tureen, or they may be heated and served hot, with the liquor, strained and considerably reduced, poured over them. Time to stew the truffles, one hour. TRUFFLES, TIMBALE OF. Line a plain round mould with good puffpaste. Take six or eight large fresh truffles; wash and brush them thoroughly, and cut them into thin slices. Put these into a small frying-pan with two ounces of fresh butter, and a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, shake them over a brisk fire, and be careful not to break them. Drain them, and put them into the mould, place the cover on the top, make a hole in the centre for the steam to escape, and bake in a hot oven. When the pastry is done enough, fill up the hole, and turn the timbale on a dish. Make an opening in the top, and pour in a small quantity of good gravy, then lay a slice of truffle in the opening, and serve. Time to fry the sliced truffle, five or six minutes. TRUFFLES, TO PREPARE FOR USE. Soak the truffles for one or two hours in cold water, or, if necessary, in lukewarm water, to loosen the earth from them. Rinse them well several times, and brush them carefully, until they are delicately clean. Dry them in a soft cloth, and pare them very thinly. The parings of truffles should be used for flavouring purposes.