On a rainy autumn’s day, deep in the Hampshire countryside, my daughter and I spent the most magical morning with Kerry Roberts and her amazing truffle hunting ‘Lagotto, Romagnolo’ Matilda. Our wellies squelching in the mud and our hearts full of anticipation, Kerry and I chatted as our two smaller companions plodded quickly ahead in search of our treasure and it wasn’t long before our pockets were full. So, in honour of our hero forager, this month I share some of my favourite recipes using truffle.
This is my ultimate luxurious comfort food. You can’t quite beat sitting in front of a fire with a large bowl of this delicious pasta and a glass of red.
Ingredients (serves 4)
500g macaroni, cooked
2 bay leaves
1 ltr whole milk
60g butter
60g plain flour
2 tbsp French mustard
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2 tbsp truffle oil
1 tbs porcini powder (optional, but worth it)
125g mozzarella
150g mature cheddar, grated
30g fresh breadcrumbs
30g parmesan, finely grated
Pinch white pepper
Method
In a small pan, warm the milk with the bay leaves. In a larger pan, melt the butter and add the flour and cook the paste for 4 minutes. Gradually add the milk (removing the bay leaves) then stir in the mustard, thyme, truffle oil, and porcini powder. Break in the mozzarella and add the cheddar, stir until smooth, season then add the macaroni.
Pre heat your oven to 200/180c fan.
Transfer the macaroni to a large oven dish, cover with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Celeriac, Almond & Truffle Soup recipe
(serves 4-6)
This soup is an absolute hug in a bowl! Warming and full of vegetables with an added touch of luxury. Serve simply with a large hunk of crusty bread.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 sprigs thyme, plus extra to garnish
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 celeriac, peeled and chopped
1 leek, washed and sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
30g ground almonds
1 ltr chicken or vegetable stock
100ml double cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt flakes
2 tbsp flaked almonds, to garnish
2 tbsp truffle oil, plus extra to garnish
Method
In a large, heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil. Add the thyme, bay, onions and garlic and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add the celeriac, leek, carrot, potato and ground almonds, stir, cover with the stock and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, remove the bay leaves and blend. I like to leave mine a bit chunky, but you can blend to smooth if you prefer.
Return to the heat and bring back to a gentle simmer, add the cream and season to taste. Garnish with thyme leaves, almond flakes and a satisfying drizzle of truffle oil.
Truffled Parsnip & Brioche Pudding recipe
Not, a pudding in the sweet sense but more a savoury version of the classic bread and butter pudding. This makes a fabulous side to roast chicken or pheasant but equally a delicious main for a meat free meal.
Ingredients (serves 4)
300g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt flakes
300ml double cream
3 free-range eggs, beaten
80g unsalted butter
100g pecorino
4 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp truffle oil, plus extra to garnish
300g brioche bread, torn into chunks
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 200c/180c fan.
In a medium sixed oven dish, coat the parsnips in the olive oil and season well. Roast for 30 minutes, until tender and golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 180c/160c fan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, half the butter, pecorino and the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme. Season well then add the truffle oil, brioche and roasted parsnips. Tip it all back into the roasting tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve garnished with the remaining thyme and a generous glug of truffle oil.
Black Truffle Linguine recipe
This decadent but simple pasta dish can be made with spaghetti or linguine. I was lucky enough to find some fresh truffle pasta in a local farm shop, but you can really use what you prefer.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
300g fresh linguine
40g unsalted butter
50g pecorino
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt flakes
1 small fresh black truffle
1 tbs truffle oil
Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2-3 minutes until ‘al dente’ and drain, reserving a ladle of the pasta water.
Return the pan to the heat and add the butter, half of the pecorino, the pasta, reserved water and season well. Serve garnished with shavings of truffle, truffle oil and the remaining cheese.
