Cooking with truffles
The important message for the first time user of truffle is to “keep it simple”
European’s love to inhale the unique aroma and taste, and then to enjoy the taste by adding the truffle to a prepared food. Truffle is a food additive. The aim is to enhance the prepared food with this wonderful flavour. Use it as you would herbs, garlic or onions.
The truffle should be very thinly shaved, or grated over the prepared meal. You will find the warmth of the meal will further ignite the aroma of the truffle.
Truffle compliments dairy foods beautifully, it is flavour and aroma is maximized when served warm with any dish or savoury food.
Whenever you can, be adventurous and try infusing truffle in butter, cream, milk, or make your own olive oil.
For cream, I use fresh cooking cream. Tip a jar of cream into a glass bowl, chop finely 25 grams of truffle and add to the cream. Stir, and place back into the jar. Store in the fridge for 48 hours, then use the cream to make your sauce, (do not boil) or whip and use on your desert etc.
When making your truffle oil, simply add thin slices of truffle to a small bottle of olive oil, and store in the fridge. The truffle will infuse through the oil. The oil has a shelf life of three weeks.
Each of the menu’s below are a wonderful way to discover the truffle experience…
Truffle Mashed Potato
- 2 medium Potatoes
- Cream or milk as preferred
- Perigord Black Truffle (around 10 gm)
- Butter
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Finely chop or grate the truffle and add to the cream by stirring. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
Steam potatoes until soft. Add butter , salt and pepper, and mash well. Add the blended cream/milk with the truffle to the mash until the required consistency is reached. Serve immediately.
Truffle Brie Cheese
- 200gm Double Brie cheese
- 25 gm Perigord Black Truffle
- Sprinkle of ground salt and pepper.
Slice Brie cheese in half and remove lid (like a sandwich). Finely shave 3 layers of truffle over the open surface of the cheese. Add ground salt and pepper to taste
Replace the lid of cheese over the prepared portion of cheese and wrap in grease proof paper and foil. Place in the fridge for 24 hours.
2 hours before serving remove from fridge to mellow.
Serve with good Italian bread thinly sliced, or plain water crackers and a great wine.
Scrambled Eggs with French Black Truffle
This is a classic dish of scrambled eggs cooked slowly with milk or cream, butter, and of course the gourmet French Black Truffle.
- 10 large fresh eggs.
- 200 ml fresh milk (or 100ml cream if preferred)
- 40 gm truffle (remains whole)
- ¼ teaspoon of flake salt.
- Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
- 2 tablespoons butter.
Place the eggs still in their shells, along with the whole truffle in a glass bowl, along with some paper towel under the eggs, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and leave for 48 hours . The fabulous aroma of the truffle will permeate through the shell of the eggs.
When ready to prepare:- (remove the truffle and paper towel from the bowl)
Combine the eggs and cream in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. (you will be able to smell the truffle aroma in the eggs)
Season with the salt and pepper.
Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the eggs, and while cooking turn the eggs frequently to prevent sticking. Do not over cook.
Serve immediately when cooked, placing the scrambled eggs on a bed of hot, buttered toast, with thin shavings of truffle over the scrambled eggs as garnish.
Truffle and Prawn Pasta
- 250 grams green tiger prawns
- 1 onion
- Half a cup of white wine
- Small jar of fresh cooking cream
- 25 grams truffle
- Fresh rocket
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pasta
Prepare the cream 48 hours before ready to eat by infusing the cream with truffle as previously discussed.
Ready to cook:
Cook pasta as required.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, finely chop and brown the onions in olive oil (or butter if preferred)
Remove the onion, then add and cook the prawns till colour is beginning to turn, add the onion, stir, then the wine, simmer for one minute.
Add the truffle infused cream, salt and pepper, and warm quickly (do not boil)
Drain water from pasta, add the cream mixture, and toss along with the rocket, and serve immediately.
Add several shavings of truffle on top for dressing.
Yum!