The truffle is a kind of sanctuary for many gourmets. Above all, it has a special taste. That's why we value and celebrate truffles in all their forms. The truffle has a lot to tell. And that's why in this article I'll tell you a little bit about the truffle. For example, a few peculiarities that you should know: the different types of truffles, black and white, and how best to use them in the kitchen. (Psst: And at the very end is our favorite recipe for truffle risotto and a trick on how to make it particularly good.)
The bulbous noble mushroom conquers hearts
Seasonal truffle tastes best when freshly harvested and with a little fat
The most important types of truffles at a glance: from Perigord to Piedmont
What makes the Perigord truffle so special
Recipe: Prepare truffled risotto perfectly
The bulbous noble mushroom truffle conquers hearts
The scent of fresh truffles is a beguiling, sometimes almost erotic experience for lovers! A form of personal attachment to the little tubers quickly develops. They want to be carefully cared for and cared for before they are practically carried onto the big stage in the kitchen. Surrounded by culinary supportive helpers, they will do their best, stealing the show with their seductive presence in order to be firmly anchored in our memories after the show.
Truffles don't want competing flavors
When it comes to truffled dishes, less is definitely more! In order to show off the truffles to their best advantage, they should not be juxtaposed with competing aromas.
The most honest truffle dishes are very puristic
A very good pasta with subtly salted raw milk butter and freshly grated truffle is just as uncompromisingly good here as a lean mashed potato with poached egg and freshly grated truffle. With both dishes we prefer to grate the truffles over them than to slice them with a truffle slicer. The appearance is of course different, but you get more out of it. The grated truffle is distributed more evenly in these two dishes than the shaved one.
Homemade Spaghettini with truffle sauce and freshly shaved truffles
Seasonal truffle tastes best when freshly harvested and with a little fat
The choice of truffle is crucial for the success of a recipe, because only an aromatic truffle can pass on its aroma. She likes to do this especially when she is allowed to come into contact with some fat, such as butter or cream. A good, not too intense oil is also a good partner. The most important truffles in the kitchen are therefore the most aromatic. And truffles are particularly aromatic when they are freshly harvested and prepared during the season. What is the best time to harvest truffles? In our experience between November and March. There are the most beautiful truffles.
The most important types of truffles at a glance: from Perigord to Piedmont
The most valuable of the black truffles is the Perigord truffle (Tuber melanosporum). Their skin is purple-black to dark red-brown. The interior of the Perigord truffle is initially whitish and then progressively darker.
The Perigord truffle is a decent distance behind the black winter truffle (Tuber brumale, also called nutmeg truffle). In contrast to the Perigord truffle, the winter truffle serves a less fine and varied range of aromas.
The famous white truffle is the Alba truffle or Piedmont truffle from the Italian regions of the same name (Tuber magnatum). It is by far the most expensive truffle, has its very own, fine aroma and is somehow most beautiful on “spaghettini al burro”. Even if it seems simple, but in this dosage form, its aroma is only carried and not disturbed in the most beautiful way.
The black summer truffle (Tuber aestivum) is a more common truffle and less noble in flavor but helps throughout the rest of the year when the more refined truffles are unavailable.
Truffled Sieglinde
What makes the Perigord truffle so special
In addition to the genus, it is of course the soil in which the truffles grow. The Perigord seems to be the place on earth that has the optimal conditions and therefore can ripen the most aromatic truffles - next to the Piedmont of course. Truffles like well-aerated soil that is loose, dry, calcareous and alkaline (basic, i.e. not acidic).
Panoramic view of the Dordogne Valley Perigord Noir France Europe
Alba truffle
Adding truffles to your kitchen is an exciting endeavor. Surely it costs some money. But it actually works if you put the small amounts that you actually only need in relation to the price per kilogram. And there are also little helpers, such as our truffle sauce, which always makes the pasta a success!
Truffled risotto
Recipe: Prepare truffled risotto perfectly
That brings us to the truffled risotto, where I'd like to share a trick: Usually, the key ingredient in a risotto is added after the rice has been sweated and deglazed. This is basically also possible here, but now the truffle would be cooked at high temperature in the risotto. More gallant is the approach in which the risotto begins with onions sautéed in olive oil, some celery and risotto rice. At the right moment, a little white wine is added and filled with chicken stock. The risotto cooks like this until it is almost done. Now the grated Parmesan cheese is folded in in the classic way, which also brings the necessary saltiness to the risotto. The trick is that instead of the butter, our ready-to-serve truffle sauce is added. It carries all the truffle aroma into the risotto and makes it nice and "sloppy". Whoever has and likes it, rubs fresh truffles on top – et voilà!
You can do the same thing with our morel or porcini sauce , not to mention a parmesan risotto with our parmesan sauce and finely sliced San Daniele ham.
