The two main types of truffle (black and white) should both be eaten at their peak of ripeness to fully appreciate their flavour. The main difference in preparation is that white truffles should never be cooked, whereas black truffles can be eaten either raw or slightly cooked.
Truffles can be used in multiple dishes. They are best served as thin, raw shavings on top of your cooked dish or salad; you just need a truffle shaver. Slice the truffle into paper-thin strips and serve the recommended quantity of 8–10 grams per person. Bland-tasting foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes are the perfect complement, as they bring out the flavour. Recipes often involve butter, cheese and cream, because fatty foods also showcase the full flavour of the truffles.
Fresh truffles should be used within three days of purchase otherwise their taste and aroma will be lost. Preserved truffles are available. However, it is advisable to eat them within a week once opened and exposed to the air.
For many, buying and accessing a fresh or preserved truffle is simply price prohibitive. Fortunately, there are many products on the market that make use of the flavour of truffles without the hefty price tag. These come in forms such as truffle oil, purees, pastes and butter. These products are substantially cheaper, making it easier and more accessible to create truffle recipes at home.
Top Truffle recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Breakfast Truffle recipe: Scrambled eggs
Serves 4 - Cook in 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 30g white or black truffle (1 small truffle)
- 12 eggs
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the butter in a small, non-stick frying pan. Beat eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Pour mixture into a frying pan and using a spatula, push the egg on the outer edges into the middle until all the egg is set.
Step 3
Serve the scrambled eggs on a plate and scatter truffle shavings over the top (N.B. Truffle salt and truffle oil can be used instead of fresh truffles). Buon Appetito!
Lunch Truffle recipe: Potato, celeriac and truffle oil soup
Serves 4 - Cook in 1 hour
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons truffle oil
- 500g celeriac, peeled and roughly diced
- 500g potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
- 1 white onion, roughly chopped
- 1l organic vegetable stock
- 100ml single cream
- 4 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- Bunch fresh thyme, tied in a bunch
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Heat some olive oil in a medium-sized pot and cook onions until translucent. Add into the pot: bunch of thyme, potatoes, celeriac, litre of vegetable stock, salt and pepper.
Step 2
Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes. Add 100ml of cream and bring back to boil, removing the bunch of thyme.
Step 3
Puree the mixture in a food processor. Season to taste with truffle oil (approximately 3-4 tablespoons), adding a few shavings of fresh black or white truffles if you want. Buon Appetito!
Dinner Truffle recipe: Fettuccine al tartufo
Serves 4 - Cook in 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 80g white or black truffle
- 250g fresh fettuccine
- 300ml heavy cream
- 120g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for seasoning
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Begin by bringing a pot of boiling water to boil. Heat the cream in a separate saucepan on low heat. Whisk the egg yolk into the mixture, adding the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir well, seasoning to preference with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Add the fettuccine to the boiling water, boil for 3-5 minutes until the pasta floats to the top. Once ready, drain and transfer into the saucepan.
Step 3
Mix well and serve with shavings of truffle and Parmigiano-Reggiano.(N.B. Truffle salt and truffle oil can be used as a replacement for fresh truffles). Buon Appetito!
Join our guides on a unique Truffle Hunting Experience and learn how to hunt for, and cook, with this legendary Italian ingredient. Our award-winning Concierge Team can organise this experience from any of our villas in Italy.