“I’ve always been thrilled by the sensation of having two different temperatures on the palate at one time,” Achatz says. Here, he contrasts a creamy, chilled potato soup with hot potato balls.More Potato RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Best New Chefs All-Star Cookbook

Ingredients

Soup

  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice 
  • 1/4 cup black truffle juice (see Note) 
  • 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 
  • Kosher salt 
  • 1 tablespoon white truffle oil 

Garnishes

  • 1 pound unsalted butter, plus 1⁄2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into 8 very small cubes and frozen 
  • 1 medium Yukon Gold potato (about 6 ounces), scrubbed and scooped into 8 balls with a 1⁄2-inch melon baller 
  • 1⁄2 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cut into 8 very small pieces 
  • 2 chives, cut into eight 1-inch lengths 
  • 8 thin slices of fresh black truffle (optional) 
  • Maldon salt 

Directions

make the soup

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the diced potato with the truffle juice and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and return to a simmer.

  2. Transfer the potato mixture to a blender. Add 3⁄4 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 cup of water and puree until smooth. With the machine on, drizzle in the truffle oil until incorporated. Season with salt. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.

prepare the garnishes

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the pound of butter. Simmer gently over low heat until foam rises to the surface, about 3 minutes. Using a spoon, skim the foam off the surface. Slowly pour the butter through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a medium bowl, stopping before you reach the milky solids at the bottom of the saucepan; wipe out the pan. Return the clarified butter to the saucepan and add the potato balls. Bring to a slow simmer over moderately low heat and cook the potato balls until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Keep the potato balls in the butter.

  2. Pour the chilled soup into 8 small bowls or shot glasses. Garnish each soup with 1 piece of cheese, frozen butter and chive, plus a hot potato ball and a truffle slice. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve. Alternatively, skewer 1 piece of cheese, frozen butter and chive and a hot potato ball onto each of 8 mini skewers, drape with a truffle slice, sprinkle with Maldon salt and serve.