Truffles are sought after by chef’s around the world, both for their umami flavor and their rarity. Black truffles sell for about $95 per ounce while the rarer white truffles sell for about $165 per ounce. Why do people love truffles? Because like a good wine, truffles have hundreds of different scent compounds. The more compounds..the more complexity; and in chef-speak, that’s a great thing.
In my recent travels, here are some of my favorite truffle experiences.
Truffle Pizza
If I had to choose a last meal before I died, it would be truffle pizza with a beautiful bottle of red wine. (And some decadent chocolate creation for dessert, of course.) I had truffle pizza by accident the first time–as I would have never ordered a $75 pizza if I hadn’t–but since then, I will gladly pay whatever a restaurant is charging for this piece of culinary perfection. If you want to take me out to dinner, make sure they have truffle pizza and I’ll be happy. Really, enough said. If you haven’t tried truffle pizza, book a flight to the South of France and go immediately to a restaurant that serves Truffle Pizza. Then write me a note and tell me what you thought.
Corvina with Potatoes and Truffle Powder
One of the reasons I love tasting menus is that it showcases a chef’s creativity. This Corvina with Potatoes and Truffle Powder was course number five in a seven-course tasting menu. I was intrigued by it as it combined three flavors that I love—Corvina, potatoes and truffles. But out of all of the flavors, the truffle powder is the one that caught my eye. I’ve had truffles sliced, grated, baked, sauteed and preserved… but I had never had truffle powder before.
If you’re not familiar with Corvina, it’s is the national fish of Panama. It’s a white fish, little sturdier than a tilapia. If you go to a cheap, local restaurant—called a Fonda—or a 5-star restaurant, you can find some variation of Corvina on the menu. At a local Fonda, you can get fried Corvina, beans, rice and salad for about $4.
Potatoes with Truffles and Cream
I celebrated my last birthday at the famous Bruno’s Restaurant in Provence, France. They serve various tasting menus, the smallest of which is eight courses of truffle-covered goodness.
This culinary exploration into truffle heaven is not cheap–we paid about $500 for two, which included a decent (but not extravagant) bottle of Champagne and two medium-level tasting menus. Out of the eight courses, the Potato with Truffles and Cream, was by far our favorite. Of course, in addition to the truffles it has enough cream to fatten an entire dance troupe, as well as olive oil and butter to boot. But hold on to your wine glass… my mouth was in heaven.
Pasta with Cream Sauce and Truffle Shavings
I also cook with truffles, but as as a weekend-warrior home-chef, I haven’t stepped up the big-league of cooking with fresh–and expensive!–fresh truffles. I use either truffle oil (which is made by scientists in factories) or canned truffle slices, which are much less expensive when you buy them from the source in Italy or France than when you buy them from a gourmet food store half a world away. But oh, the days I splurge are always great days, especially because I always open a premium bottle of wine to celebrate the fact that I’m eating real truffles.
Those are some of my favorite truffle experiences. What is your favorite truffle recipe?
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