Truffle powder is made from real truffles, but it’s dried and then pulverized into a powder. The flavor is concentrated during the drying process, so you use less than you would use if the truffles were fresh. Because it’s dried, it also has a long shelf-life, which is another improvement over fresh truffles.
You use truffle powder in a similar fashion as you would fresh truffles. If you would normally layer truffle slices on a pizza, you would sprinkle truffle powder on the same pizza.
There is also something called Truffle Zest Seasoning, which is a less expensive way to get the truffle kick. Unlike truffle powder, it’s not made from real truffles but rather it’s made in a lab with the chemical compound found in truffles. (In case you didn’t know, this is the same way they make truffle oil.) For $13 you get almost two ounces of seasoning. At this price, you can sprinkle it on food more liberally. It was one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2016, so I just added a jar to my Amazon cart. I haven’t used it yet, but once I get it, I’ll experiment with it and report back.
In the photo, dark truffle powder is dusted over Corvina with Potato Purée. Corvina is a medium-bodied white fish ubiquitous to Panama. You might normally expect to pair Corvina with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio … but the truffle powder adds a depth of flavor that yearns for a more complex wine pairing.
Wine Pairing – Corvina with Truffle Powder
When looking for the perfect wine pairing to go with food that you’ve made with truffle powder, treat it as if you had used fresh truffles. When cooking with truffles, you want a wine with a little more complexity. Which in wine-speak means older. (I see a T-shirt coming… “I’m not old, I’m just complex.”)
If you have a cellar with older wine at your fingertips, please invite me over. If you don’t have easy access to older wines, don’t fret…there are still plenty of options. With truffles, you want to steer clear from fruit-forward wines. For example, if you want a Pinot Noir, choose a Pinot Noir from Burgundy where the wines will be earthier, versus a Pinot Noir from Oregon or New Zealand, which will be fruitier.
Have you cooked with truffle powder or truffle zest? If so, let me know what you made and what you thought of it in the comments below. And most of all, tell me what wine you paired it with.
Happy Wine and Truffle Pairing!
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