Place a single slice of truffle in the centre of the “crown”.Carefully sprinkle each truffle with salt, and each potato with chives. Serve immediately.VINAIGRETTEMakes about 150ml/5fl oz1 tablespoon best quality red wine vinegar1 tablespoon best quality sherry vinegarsea salt to taste100ml/4fl oz extra-virgin olive oilfreshly ground white pepper to taste1 level tablespoon minced black truffleIn a small bowl, whisk together the vinegars and the salt Add the oil in a small stream, whisking until it is blended Season with pepper to taste. Now add the truffle, and stir to blend.PERIGUEUX INDULGENCEThis is the height of decadence. The merge of truffles and port is a special one, and once marinated the truffle produces an essence of unsurpassed flavour. It may be stored for several months and used to add a touch of luxury to almost any sauce.Makes 204 fresh trufflesabout 150ml/14 pint ruby port20 thin slices of baguetteunsalted butter for spreading120ml/4fl oz veal stock25g/1oz unsalted buttersalt and freshly milled pepperBrush the truffles well under cold running water Dry them with a kitchen towel and place in a small jar. Cover with the port and leave in a cool place for at least 24 hours.Toast the baguette slices and spread generously with butter.Thinly slice the truffles. Combine the veal stock with 50ml/2fl oz of the port strained from the truffles – store the rest in a jar in the refrigerator – and reduce by fast boiling until a syrupy consistency is reached Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter Season to taste.

Pass through a fine sieve.Place the truffle slices in the hot sauce to warm through, then place a few on each slice of toast. Spoon a tiny amount of sauce on top and sprinkle with freshly milled pepper.POTATO CAKE WITH FRESH TRUFFLESServes 460g/2oz fresh truffles500ml/16fl oz double cream,80g/3oz coarsely-chopped truffles300ml/10fl oz truffle juice2kg/412lbs potatoes1 head celery200g/7oz clarified butterBoil the cream for 15 minutes to reduce it Add truffle juice to it. Peel the potatoes and celery and cut them into 5cm/1in pieces.Slice the celery pieces into rounds about 3mm/l6in thick and boil them in water. Then slice the truffles into rounds about 2mm/l8in thick and slice four potato pieces into rounds about 3mm/l6 inch thick.Combine the celery, truffles and potatoes and add 25g/loz clarified butter. Season to taste.Place a knob of butter in the bottom of a buttered mould. Lightly brown the truffle, celery and potato rounds on a buttered griddle.

Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of the cream and the truffle juice. Arrange three rounds of potatoes, one of celery and one of truffles alternately in the mould, adding a little cream between each layer.Sprinkle the top with the chopped truffles. Complete with a layer of potatoes cut as thinly as possible.Pour the rest of the cream over the mould and cover the mould with aluminium foil.Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180F/350F/Gas 4.PARTRIDGE PIE WITH A SAUCE OF TRUFFLESServes 44 wild partridgessalt and pepper1 savoy cabbage25g/1oz truffle and a little truffle oil50g/2oz semi-cooked foie gras (tinned)225g/8oz puff pastrywater or a little beaten egg for egg washFor the sauce Perigueux:300ml/12 pint light veal stock25ml/1fl oz Madeiraa few chopped truffles300ml/12 pint stock made from partridge bones added to veal stockUsing only wild partridges, season them and roast a la goutte de sang (undercooked so that when the breast is punctured with a needle a pearl of blood appears) in the oven at 220C/425F/Gas 7 – this should take about seven minutes.Allow the partridges to cool and then divide them into supremes, keeping the breast and thigh intact but removing the drumstick (The drumsticks can be used as a cold hors d’oeuvre). All the bones will go to make the partridge stock.Blanch four good cabbage leaves large enough to form envelopes in boiling salted water.

Refresh.Cook the heart of the cabbage in boiling water for about five minutes. Drain and chop into small pieces, enough to stuff the four leaves.Flavour this filling with a little truffle oil and some of the truffle cut into julienne strips. Adjust the seasoning.Wrap the filling in the cabbage leaves so that you form small filled envelopes.Cut the supremes diagonally in half. Place two supremes for each person side by side to make a heart shape.Place the envelopes of cabbage and julienne strips of truffle in the middle.Roll out the puff pastry into four squares large enough to encase the partridge. Place a layer of semi-cooked foie gras, cut very thinly, on the pastry, reserving another layer for the top. Add a few julienne strips of truffle and place the partridge and cabbage on top Cover with a second layer of foie gras and truffle Season.Mould the pastry around the filling.