TWICE-BAKED POTATOES WITH PORCINI & WHITE TRUFFLE

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES WITH PORCINI & WHITE TRUFFLE image

Yield 8 servings(1/2 potato)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/4 cup)
4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
3 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup half and half, warmed
1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Poke a knife into each potatoe several times to make room for steam to escape while baking. Bake til tender all the way through, about 1-1 1/4 hours. Soak mushrooms in 1 cup very hot water while you bake the potatoes. Once the potatoes are done, cool them 10-15 minutes before slicing each in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the shells 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Mash in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the mushrooms. With a wooden spoon, stir in 3 Tbsps of the butter, the creme fraiche, half-and-half, chopped mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of the truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste. Taste and add more truffle oil if you like. Stuff the potatoe halves. For a rough-textured surface, mark it with the tines of a fork. Top each with bits of the remaining butter.Bake at 400 degrees F. for 25-30 min. (or 35-40 minutes if made ahead and refrigerated). Let sit for about 10 min. before serving.