Once a year, come truffle season, I start thinking about truffle recipe ideas. Once upon a time truffles were a thing of myth. They were considered a delicacy that was limited to the wealthy in the northern hemisphere. These days truffles are still somewhat taxing on the wallet however they are no longer limited to the northern half of the world. To our delight there are now 160 truffle (French Périgord) growers in Australia which are spread throughout the country.
By far the most popular kind of truffle grown in Australia is the French Périgord (Tuber melanosporum) with flavour profiles differing between regions. Western Australian truffles are strong and rich, Tasmanian truffles taste of oak, Victorian truffles are sweet and earthy while New South Wales truffles are smoky and robust. No matter your flavour preference, these “diamonds of the kitchen” have the ability to elevate any dish from great to amazing.
Australian truffles are available around 8 magical weeks every year spanning from the end of June until the beginning of September. During this short season, there are a range of dishes that can be created to showcase their flavour. Additionally, there are a few simple tricks to make sure this tasty fungi can be extended as much as possible without losing the flavour. You don’t need much either. The truffle we purchased this year weighed 33 grams and was used to produce everything you featured here. Here are a few of our favourite truffle recipe ideas.
Truffle Butter
- 125g salted butter, softened
- 3g truffle, shaved
- Cut the truffle into thin slices.
- Mix the butter and truffle together.
- Wrap the truffle butter in a piece of plastic wrap.
- Form into a log and refrigerate for at least three days.
Serve with a crusty loaf of bread, melt it over freshly popped corn, or stir it through risotto.
Truffle Salt
- 25g sea salt flakes
- 1g truffle, shaved
- Cut the truffle into thin slices.
- Mix the salt and truffle together.
- Place in a glass jar for a least two days to allow the truffle flavour to impart into the salt.
Use this instead of plain sea salt flakes to provide an extra punch of flavour to any dish.
Truffle Popcorn
- 125g popcorn kernels
- 20g truffle butter, melted
- sprinkle of truffle salt
- Pop the popcorn.
- Pour the butter oven the popcorn and mix well.
- Sprinkle with salt and enjoy.
Truffle Infused Egg
- 2 eggs
- 1 truffle
If you place the eggs in a glass jar with your truffle, the flavour will slowly transfer through the porous egg shell. It is incredible how much the flavour imparts into the egg. It is one of the rare occasions that adding additional truffle is not required however more truffle never harmed anyone. To infuse the eggs, I normally leave them in the truffle jar for 4 to 5 days. Post infusion, I would suggest poaching or scrambling the eggs to make the most of the truffle flavour.
Serve the eggs atop some crusty bread or a savoury muffin with shavings of truffle on top.
Macaroni & Cheese
Adding truffle to our classic macaroni & cheese recipe gives it a nutty, earthy tasty which adds more depth to the dish. This is one of my favourite ways to use truffles. I slightly alter our classic macaroni & cheese recipe. I add truffle salt instead plain salt, leave out the bacon and stir 3g of truffle throughout the dish.
Gorgonzola Arancini
Add truffle salt and fresh truffles to our Gorgonzola arancini to make a delicious starter.
Mushroom and Thyme Risotto
Add truffle salt, truffle butter and fresh truffles to our creamy mushroom & thyme risotto for a heavenly winter meal.
Soft Egg, Goats Cheese & Tarragon Butter Ravioli
Add truffle salt and shaved fresh truffle to our soft egg, goats cheese & tarragon butter ravioli to make an amazing dish spectacular.
I hope you make the most of this glorious time of year and if you have any interesting recipes to highlight truffles we would love to share them here on The City Lane – let us know in the comments section below!