White Truffle Season
October is the start of white truffle season. This fungus, also known as "trifola d'Alba Madonna" ("Truffle of the White Mother" in Italian or by it’s scientific name,Tuber magnatum) is highly praised in the culinary world. The finest examples are found in the Piedmonte region of Italy, but can be found elsewhere including the Istria peninsula of Croatia. It is with out doubt one of my favourite foods, but their cost can be prohibitive. I don’t think cost is what Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin had in mind when he called them “the diamond in the kitchen”, but it seems an appropriate moniker.
Like all truffles, one wants to eat them as soon as possible from the time they are taken out of the ground, as they lose their aroma and taste as they dry out. The fridge therefore is a bad place to store them. It is best to keep them dry and cool; wrapped in paper towel and kept in the wine cellar is ideal. White truffles are extremely fragrant, even more so than black, and it is a wondrous smell that greets one on opening the cellar door. When using them, simple recipes are best so the truffle is highlighted. Also, it is best to use them raw as cooking them kills their taste and aroma.
Classic recipes are risotto or pasta, and in particular tagliatelle. A light simple sauce, like flavoured butter (plus minus a little cream!) is all that is needed. Just before serving, truffle is shaved on top; the heat of the pasta further volatilizes the truffle’s aroma.
Interestingly, like lobster, truffles were once abundant and used by all, not just the rich. They were extensively cultivated in the 19th century, but with WWI and WWII, land was destroyed and with the large number of those knowledgeable in “trufficulture” killed, they became rare and expensive.
There is renewed interest in “trufficulture” and they are grown in Oregon, B.C., and importantly, Australia and New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere. This means that winter truffles can now be found even in the summer. I would say however, that although cheaper, they are a poor substitute for those from Italy!
We were fortunate to source a 5gm white truffle this weekend from the Cheese Boutique, one of my favourite food shops. Maître fromager (cheese master) Afrim Pristine, was kind enough to select a beautiful, fresh and fragrant truffle which he suggested I serve with pasta. The classic wine pairing is Barolo or Barbaresco, although many prefer a rich chardonnay. We elected to enjoy a Barbaresco that was just waiting in the cellar for such an occasion.
Mise en place: Cream, tagliatelle, sage, garlic, and butter. And of course, white truffle!
Truffle slicer given to me for XMAS by my wife that she bought on a family summer trip to Italy in 2003 (Truffle not included!).
Gently heating butter to a foam with garlic and sage. At the last minute before tossing with the pasta, cream added.
The final dish! Pasta tossed with sage and garlic infused butter, finished with truffle slices. Can you smell them?
Very nice Barbaresco, but truth be told, Barolo would have worked better for me, and maybe even a chardonnay.