Eat this one-pound black truffle at Patina

On Thursday, Patina concluded three nights of black truffle tasting dinners, and now it is featuring a variety of dishes made using this magnificent one-pound black truffle (pictured).

The outsized beauty was on display during the tasting dinners, having been whisked to Patina by Christopher Poron, the president of French black-truffle exporter Plantin. Truffles are generally an ounce or two, and are about the size of pingpong balls. As you can see, this meaty beast dwarfs a humble breakfast egg, and rivals a plump grapefruit in size and stature.

Menu items currently shaving this bad boy down to size include winter-glazed vegetables mosaic;
sweetbread “meunière” with wild mushrooms; seared day boat scallops with leeks and potatoes; foie gras ravioli with celery and sunchoke emulsion; and roasted Jidori chicken with Swiss chard.

Patina, 141 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 972-3331; www.patinagroup.com.

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo credit: Patina