Truffle Tales: A Culinary Adventure with the King of Fungi

Truffle Tales: A Culinary Adventure With The King Of Fungi

I Can’T Stop Thinking About Truffles! A While Back, My Buddy And Fellow Michelin-Starred Chef Adrian Quetglas Whipped Up A Small Spanish Omelette For Me At Home. To Top It Off, He Generously Grated Loads Of Black Truffle All Over It. Let Me Tell You, It Was Absolutely Delicious. The Warm Potatoes, The Slightly Runny Eggs, And The Incredible Aroma And Flavour Of Fresh Truffles Were Just Mind-Blowing. It’S No Wonder The Ancient Romans Believed Truffles Had Aphrodisiac, Therapeutic, And Medicinal Properties. Something So Simple Has Never Tasted So Good!

Truffles, Also Known As The Diamonds Of The Kitchen, Are Some Of The World’S Most Elusive And Rarest Fungi. It Takes Years For Them To Mature. A Few Years Ago, My Truffle Obsession Caused Quite A Stir On A Plane. I Had Gone To France In Search Of Some Fresh, Black Beauties And Splurged On Twenty-Four Amazing, Aromatic Truffles. There Was No Way I Was Letting Them Out Of My Sight, So I Neatly Packed Them Into My Hand Luggage And Headed Back To The Airport. Ten Minutes Into My Flight Home, As The Heating Started To Kick In, A Faint Smell Began To Waft Around The Cabin. Before Long, The Entire Plane Was Filled With The Heavy Aroma That Gareth Renowden Once Described In The Truffle Book As Resembling “old Socks And Sex”!

These Days, I’M Happy To Say That I Don’T Have To Travel Too Far For My Truffles. I’Ve Got A Guy With A Dog Who Hunts For Them In The Mountains Of Mallorca. There Are Many Different Varieties Of Truffles, But The Most Budget-Friendly Ones Are The Summer Truffles (Tuber Aestivum) That Come Into Season From April To September. They Have A Rough Black Exterior And Brown Flesh Mottled With White Veins. Summer Truffles Have A Delicate But Distinctive Aroma And Are Perfect For Canapés, Pasta Sauces, Eggs, Potatoes, Rice, Or Meat And Fish Dishes.

Black Winter Truffles (Tuber Melanosporum) Are Available From November To March And Have A Distinctive And Powerful Aroma. White Truffles Can Be Found From November To February, And They Have A Golden Exterior With Delicate Cream-Coloured Flesh And A Strong, Musky, Slightly Garlicky Aroma. They Are Almost Never Cooked But Are Usually Consumed Fresh, Typically By Being Shaved Into Paper-Thin Slices Over Pasta, Risotto, Or, If You’Re Extremely Lucky, A Freshly Prepared Spanish Omelette Made By A Michelin-Starred Chef.

If You Manage To Get Your Hands On Fresh Truffles, Store Them In The Fridge And Use Them Within A Week. Many Cooks Choose To Preserve Truffles In Uncooked Rice Grains. The Rice Grains Protect The Natural Moisture In The Truffles While Preventing Them From Getting Too Damp. In Turn, The Truffles Add Their Amazing Flavour To The Rice, Resulting In A Decadent, Heavenly, Creamy Risotto.

Black Truffle, Sage, And Pecorino Risotto
Serves 4–6
900ml Chicken Stock (Bouillon)
30g Butter
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
350g Arborio Or Carnaroli Risotto Rice
1 Tsp Chopped Sage Leaves
100ml Dry White Wine
1 Tbsp Mascarpone
1 Tsp Truffle Oil
2 Tbsp Grated Pecorino Cheese
1 ½ Tsp Olive Oil
Fresh Black Truffle, For Shaving (Optional)
Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
In A Small Saucepan, Bring The Chicken Stock (Bouillon) To A Simmer. In A Separate Heavy Saucepan Over A Medium Heat, Heat The Butter Until Melted, Then Add The Onion And Garlic And Cook For About 2 Minutes, Stirring, Until The Onion Has Softened. Stir In The Rice And Sage Leaves, Then Add The Wine And Cook, Stirring, Until Fully Absorbed. Add Enough Of The Hot Chicken Stock To Just Cover The Rice. Continue To Stir Until The Rice Has Absorbed All The Liquid. Continue To Add The Stock Gradually, Stirring Continuously, Until All The Stock Has Been Absorbed And The Rice Has Softened, About 15 Further Minutes. Add The Mascarpone, Truffle Oil, And Grated Pecorino And Season To Taste. The Risotto Should Be Light And Creamy. Stir In The Olive Oil And Serve Immediately, Topped With Freshly Grated Truffle, If Desired.

Celeriac, Truffle, Smoked Bacon, And Thyme Soup
The Great French Chef Auguste Escoffier Said, “Soup Puts The Heart At Ease, Calms Down The Violence Of Hunger, Eliminates The Tension Of The Day, And Awakens And Refines The Appetite.” Beethoven Claimed That “only The Pure Of Heart Can Make Good Soup”. One Thing Is For Sure, Freshly Made Soups Rarely Get The Attention They Deserve, But This Delicious Soup, With Celeriac (Celery Root), Smoked Bacon, Thyme, And Truffles, Leaves Everyone Wanting More!
Serves 4-6
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, Finely Chopped
50g Smoked Bacon, Cut Into Small Pieces
1 Leek, White Only, Finely Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
2 Sprigs Thyme, Leaves Picked
700g Celeriac (Celery Root), Peeled And Diced
800ml Chicken Stock (Bouillon)
200ml Cream
2 Tsp Chopped Chives
Sea Salt And White Pepper
Fresh Truffle Slices Or A Few Drops Of Truffle Oil, To Garnish
Method
Heat The Olive Oil In A Large Saucepan Over A Low To Medium Heat, Add The Onion, Bacon, And Leek And Cook, Stirring, For 2–3 Minutes, Until Softened But Not Coloured. Add The Garlic And Thyme And Cook For Another 30 Seconds, Then Add The Celeriac And Stock And Bring To The Boil. Reduce The Heat To Low, Cover, And Simmer For 30 Minutes. Remove The Pan From The Heat And Let Cool Slightly. Add The Cream And Then Blend To A Smooth Purée With A Hand-Held Blender Or In A Food Processor. Season To Taste With Salt And White Pepper, Then Pass Through A Fine Sieve. Ladle Into Soup Bowls, Scatter With Chopped Chives And Sliced Truffle Or Drizzle With A Few Drops Of Truffle Oil. Serve Immediately.

Artichokes With Wild Mushrooms, Truffle, And Serrano Ham
Artichokes Are Incredibly Versatile, And They Make Awesome Partners For Truffle, Mushrooms, And Serrano Ham. If You Don’t Want To Prepare The Artichokes, You Could Also Use Good Quality Artichokes From A Jar.
Serves 4
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
200g Mixed Wild Mushrooms, Cleaned And Chopped
80g Serrano Ham, Diced
1 Tbsp Plain Flour
120ml Dry Sherry Or White Wine
150ml Vegetable Stock
Juice Of 1 Lemon
8 Thin Slices Fresh Truffle (Optional)
2 Tbsp Chopped Chives
Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For The Artichokes:
8 Globe Artichokes
Juice Of 1 Lemon
Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black
Pepper
Method
To Prepare The Whole Artichokes For Poaching, Pull Off The Lower, Outer, And Discoloured Leaves And Trim The Stems To Form A Flat Base So That The Artichokes Will Stand Upright. Cut Off About A Quarter To One-Third Of The Artichoke Leaves Straight Across The Top. Rub The Cut Surfaces With A Little Lemon Juice To Prevent Browning. Stand The Artichokes On Their Flat Bases In A Non-Reactive Saucepan, Add Water To A Depth Of About 5cm/2in, Add The Lemon Juice And Season With Salt And Pepper. Cover And Gently Simmer For 15–20 Minutes. Once Cooked, Quarter The Artichokes And Scoop Out And Discard The Hairy Chokes With A Spoon. Set Aside. Heat The Olive Oil In A Large Frying Pan (Skillet) Over A Medium Heat, Add The Onion And Garlic And Sauté Until Softened, About 2–3 Minutes. Add The Wild Mushrooms And Serrano Ham And Cook For 1–2 Minutes, Then Add The Flour And Stir Well. Stir In The Dry Sherry Or Wine And Vegetable Stock And Cook For About 2 Minutes, Until The Sauce Thickens. Add The Artichoke Quarters And Lemon Juice And Warm Through, Then Scatter With The Truffle Slices And Chopped Chives. Season To Taste And Serve Immediately.