In theTruffle Hunting episode of Sourced, I travel to the Pacific Northwest to forage and eat both wild and cultivated truffles with Alana of The Truffle Dog Company and Simon and Linnet of Cartwright Truffière. Their importance to our forests, unique aromas, and taste all contribute to their allure.

Truffles have a very short shelf life and are difficult to cultivate, making them very expensive. Naturally, we want to make the most out of it by infusing it with fatty ingredients. This is Simon Cartwright’s recipe for truffle and crab toast.

A Perigord truffle-infused avocado is spread across toast, topped with a pile of lump crab meat that is blended with grated truffle, then topped with sliced truffles! The truffle brings out the nuttiness of the avocado and intensifies the flavor of the crab. It’s incredibly simple and decadent—this is crab toast like you’ve never had before!

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Truffle InfusionA ripe truffle is pungent and as soon as it emerges from the ground, will immediately release gases (aroma) that you’ll want to capture and transfer (infuse) into other ingredients. It’s very similar to the way an open carton of milk will absorb odors in the refrigerator, but of course, you’ll want to have more control by placing specific ingredients into one container with a truffle.

Truffles infuse best into fatty ingredients, such as a stick of butter (still wrapped in paper or foil), an open jar of heavy cream, eggs, cheese, nuts, salmon, shortbread cookies, or in this case, an avocado.

Amazingly, the truffle’s aromas will penetrate the skin of the avocado, eggshell, and paper. You’ll want to set everything inside a very large 1- to 2-gallon jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place a single truffle at the very top, wrapped in a paper towel to keep it from drying out, and if needed, set it inside a tea ball infuser to hang it in place so it doesn’t fall into a jar of cream. Place this jar inside a refrigerator, and after 3 days, the smell of the truffle will infuse everything within the jar!

Those ingredients can be used in a variety of ways to make savory or sweet dishes. Infused butter or nuts can be frozen to use at a later date. The same truffle used for infusion can then be grated or shaved on top of food. This method allows you to stretch a single truffle for several different recipes throughout the year.

Crab ToastGrate half of the truffle with a microplane and gently blend it into the lump crab. Slice or mash the infused avocado and spread it across the toast. Season with a pinch of salt, then top with the lump crab. Using a truffle shaver, shave the remaining truffle and place it on top of the crab toast. You can also use a knife and slice as thinly as possible. Serve immediately.