With so many foods increasingly available all year round, it’s nice to have a special few with limited windows of availability. Truffles are one of those foods that really have their own time on the calendar. For black truffles it's during winter (whether in Australia or Europe), and for white truffles it's October/November, most famously from Piedmont. Let's not speak of the inferior summer black truffles that you might be convinced to buy in a European market in July. Don't do it.
If you’re a Nebbiolo fan, or if you’ve just starting to explore that variety a little more since joining Vino Cammino, it’s worth finding a fresh Australian black truffle this winter. There are few better pairings in the world of food and wine. Truffle is one of the signature aromas of a Nebbiolo with a little (or a lot of) age. Barolo and Barbaresco are perfect. A really great Langhe Nebbiolo will also do the trick (the good ones, like Cecilia’s, are from the same vineyards as Barolo and Barbaresco, but see less time ageing in oak before release).
If you find truffles intimidating, we've set out a few tips below for finding, buying, cooking (well, that is the wrong word for it. preparing is better), and pairing them with wine.
Finding them
You won’t find truffles at your supermarket. They are notoriously difficult to farm (which is also not really the right word for it. Find, domesticate, cultivate?). They are ephemeral things. They start to lose their potency the second they leave the ground. Keeping them cold helps, but they are best to eat as quickly as possible after they are relieved of their resting place among the roots of an oak or hazelnut tree. So you’ll want to buy them at specialty providers who get them direct from the source, or even from the people who dig them up if you can. In Sydney we’re just down the road from Gourmet Life who always have a good supply when in season. Sydneysiders can also use truffledealer.com.au who are pretty great (not sure how far their delivery goes). In Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide, the major markets are your best best. We're not experienced in sourcing them elsewhere, so just jump on google! And remember, we're talking about fresh truffles, not the preserved stuff (i.e. truffle bits in oil, etc).
Buying them
You’ll want roughly 10g per person, per meal. It’ll set you back anywhere between $2-4 per gram for Australian black truffles and a little more for those flown in from Europe. White truffles are more again, if you can get them. It can be a bit tricky to select them if you are offered a choice, but the more potent the aroma the better. If it doesn't have a strong smell, that means it's been on display or in transport for too long and has lost it's flavour. Don't buy it. Avoid any that are broken or cut. Bigger truffles look nice when they are sliced but can be more expensive as they are rarer.
Preparing them
You don't really cook truffles. If anything, you gently warm them by adding to a sauce later in the preparation to avoid losing their delicate flavour. We tend to just finish the dish with them by shaving the truffle on top. There are 3 dishes we love to make when we buy truffles (we buy enough for 3 meals over a weekend), and the preparation starts as soon as you buy them. Get an airtight container (we used a plastic takeaway container this weekend, but a nice glass jar looks better!), put down a layer of arborio rice, then a few eggs, nestle the truffle(s) among them, then cover with more rice and more eggs. Aim for around 2 eggs and half a cup of per person. Store the container in the fridge. (see below for a mid-prep photo)
Truffle is a delicate flavour, so keep the base dish as simple as possible.
On night one, make an angel hair pasta with a simple creamy sauce, or just some butter and Parmigiano. Shave the truffle thinly over the pasta as you serve. We love our truffle shaver, but we’ve done with a potato peeler or cheese grater in a pinch. You can grate it finely if you have smaller truffles or leftover pieces, but thin slices look beautiful. Leave the remaining truffles in the fridge overnight in the airtight container with the rice and eggs.
The next morning, cook up the eggs however you enjoy them. They’ll have infused the scent of the truffles in the container, so they're delicious even without actual truffle shaved on top, but if you bought enough, slice some more on as you serve.
On night two, use the arborio rice to make a simple risotto. Again, the rice will be infused with the truffle scent. Delicious as it is, but slice whatever truffle is left on top as you serve. Taking some inspiration from the excellent version we always order at Attenzione, we made a champagne risotto this week - perfect.
Pairing them with wine
This is the easy bit. As mentioned above, it has to be Nebbiolo. Any of the Barolo from Cagliero or Barbaresco from Cecilia Monte will be perfect.