Turn until perfectly smooth. Cover with a layer of the white leaves of escarole or endive. In the centre arrange a tower of very stiff mayonnaise surmounted by the largest truffle. With this salad the best dry champagne should be served very cold but not iced. Aficionados of Alice B. Toklas recipes require skills with truffles, as they are a frequent ingredient.
Truffles are subterranean fungi.
Truffles are placed in the order Tuberales and there is about 230 species. The best known genus, Tuber is native mainly to temporate regions. It is brown or black, rounded, and covered with polygonal warts having a depression at their summit. The odour is well marked and pleasant. Truffles often occur at depths of upto 12 inches and can often be difficult to detect.