Fried Egg with Truffle: The Classic Uovo all'Occhio di Bue al Tartufo

A fried egg and a fresh truffle: two ingredients, ten minutes, and one of the best truffle dishes there is. In Italian it is called uovo all'occhio di bue al tartufo, the bull's-eye egg, named for the round yolk in the middle of the white. It is one of the specialities of Giulio the Truffle Hunter, who serves it at his country house near Florence.

Why Eggs and Truffles Go Together

Eggs are one of the classic partners of fresh truffle. The warm, soft yolk and the butter carry the aroma of the truffle, and the mild taste of the egg lets it come through. As with all truffle food, the rule is to keep everything else simple.

Ingredients for Fried Eggs with Truffle (Serves 2)

• 4 very fresh eggs
• 20 g good butter
• 10 g fresh truffle, white or black (about 5 g per person)
• A pinch of salt, and good bread for dipping

How to Make It

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. It should melt, not brown.
2. Break the eggs into the pan one at a time, keeping each yolk whole.
3. Cook gently until the whites are just set and the yolks are still soft, about three minutes.
4. Add a pinch of salt on the whites, not on the yolks.
5. Slide the eggs onto warm plates, or serve them in the pan. Shave the truffle over the top with a truffle slicer and serve at once, with bread to dip in the yolk.

Tips for the Best Fried Egg with Truffle

• Use eggs as fresh as you can find, so the white stays compact and the yolk round.
• Keep the heat low. A hot pan makes the egg crisp and the yolk hard.
• Never cook the truffle. Shave it on at the end, so the heat of the egg releases its aroma without dulling it.
• An old Italian trick: leave the eggs in a closed jar with the truffle overnight. The shell is porous, so the eggs take on the truffle's aroma.

More Truffle Food to Try

The other classic is tagliolini al tartufo, fresh egg pasta with butter and shaved truffle. Served together, the pasta and the egg make a perfect Tuscan truffle lunch, and a full-flavoured dry white wine, such as a Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG, goes well with both.

Taste It with Giulio in Tuscany

The best place to eat truffle eggs is at Giulio's own table. On Truffle Hunting with Giulio the Truffle Hunter, a private three-hour experience near Florence, you hunt truffles in the woods, hear the story of the truffle at his country house, and finish with a light lunch of tagliolini with butter and truffle, and eggs with truffle.