Le Creuset Kitchen Sessions with Chef Joseph Lenn

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Pencil Cob Grits with Tennessee Black Truffle Custard

For the Grits:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup pencil cob grits or stone ground grits
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a heavy bottom Le Creuset sauce pot, over medium high heat, bring milk and water to a simmer. Whisk in grits and reduce heat to low. Occasionally stir the grits and cook for 45 minutes to one hour until tender. Season with salt. Divide grits into four 8-ounce Le Creuset Mini Round Cocotte. Reserve.

For the Black Truffle Custard:

• 4 ounces black truffle juice (can substitute rich mushroom stock)
• ¾ cups cream
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 2-4 Tablespoons truffle (grated on microplane)

In a heavy bottom Le Creuset sauce pot, over medium high heat, bring truffle juice to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and add thyme and reduce to one ounce. Add cream and salt and warm cream, but do not simmer. Once cream is warm, strain cream mixture through fine mesh sieve. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, then gently temper the cream into the eggs while whisking. Grate 2 Tablespoons of truffle into the custard and stir in with a spatula (if you use a whisk, you run the risk of your truffle getting caught on the whisk). Divide mixture over grits.

Place cocottes in a roasting pan and fill with enough water to come up half the side of the cocotte. Place pan in a 325°F preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until custard is set. Remove and grate more truffles over the top and serve immediately.