Spring Baby Broad Beans with Grated Black Truffle and Pommes Paille

Sort the lettuce, making sure to wash the greens several times, changing the water as often as necessary to get rid of any sand and grit. Delicately spin dry.

Place carefully on a rack, and cover with a moistened dishtowel. Refrigerate.

Shell the broad beans and remove the outer membrane. Place into a small bowl, and cover with a moistened dishtowel and plastic wrap to avoid oxidation.

Combine some salt, some pepper, the truffle purée, and the truffle juice in a bowl. Dissolve the salt by adding the balsamic and Barolo vinegars.

Emulsify the dressing by folding in the olive oil, making sure to add a few more drops when the desired consistency has been reached to guarantee a “pearly” effect.

Peel the potato and dice it into large cubes, trimming it as little as possible. Slice the potato using a mandoline set with a julienne blade.

Sort the potato shavings so that they are all the same size, to ensure that they are cooked evenly.

Place the slices of potatoes in a pan of cold water, and let soak for 2 hours to extract as much starch as possible. Change the water often, or turn on the cold water tap and leave the receptacle underneath it.

Melt the clarified butter in a high-sided pot, and heat it to 320°F (160 °C).

Drain the julienned potatoes carefully on a dishtowel. Dry well, and deep fry 1/3 of them in the clarified butter. Stir delicately with a slotted spoon.

When they begin to brown slightly, drain on paper towels, and season immediately with fleur de sel.

Cook the other two batches of potatoes in the same fashion. Change the paper towels as often as necessary to dry as much as possible. Place in a warm place.

Wash the truffles under the cold water tap with a nail brush, and dry well on paper towels. Peel with the tip of a paring knife, setting the trimmings aside. Cut into 1/10 inch (2 mm) sticks.

Crush the truffle trimmings with a fork on a piece of parchment paper and mix with the dressing.

Place the baby broad beans in a stainless steel bowl, and season with the truffle dressing. Add the fresh truffle sticks, and season with freshly ground pepper.

Serve the baby broad bean salad.

Season the mixed lettuce with extra-virgin olive oil, fleur de sel, and freshly ground pepper, forming a nest of lettuce in the baby broad bean salad.

Moisten with some olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Place the warm pommes pailles in the center of the lettuce nest, sprinkle some fleur de sel over the dish, and serve immediately.