Not many of us have instant access to fresh truffles, and for that reason, they remain a mystery to many; however, most of us can track down small little glass pots of preserved minced or carpaccio style sliced truffle at the supermarket or deli. Twisting the lid off one of these little jars of truffles guarantees a magical easy peasy dinner, especially if you’d rather spend time out of the kitchen socialising! Most of us would after having been apart for so many months in 2020! As an essential Italian store cupboard provision, this is unbeatable!
Time is of the Essence
If you can take the time to order your truffle pots directly from a truffle hunter, you would notice the difference. A truffle hunter’s products won’t have lost any of their powerful aroma or flavour en-route, as they will have created them on their arrival back home post-hunt. They won’t require a top-up of synthetic ingredients like 2,4-dithiapentane that the majority of truffle oil is made from to revive smell and taste lost in transit! Truffles are the king in the 0km food sector!
Recipes from a Truffle Hunter
We asked Abruzzese truffle hunter, Lucio, who runs Berlingeri Tartufi and who sells his award-winning products on our Marketplace for his two favourite recipes; he selected a vegetarian dish and the other using Italian sausage. He lives just outside Villa Santa Lucia Degli Abruzzi (AQ) and organises truffle safaris so check back in January when we will add those up ready for you to book!
Truffle and Pecorino Risotto
Ingredients
- 40 gm Grated Abruzzese Pecorino
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil According to taste
- 1/4 Onion Finely Chopped
- 1 Glass White Wine
- 340 gm Risotto rice Arborio or Carnaroli
- Vegetable Stock All rice is a little different but work on a liquid ratio of 3:1 (3 = liquid, 1 rice)
- 1 tbsp Minced Summer Truffle
Instructions
- Fry the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chopped onion a. When it is golden brown, add the rice and toast it for 5 minutes, then add with the white wine, stirring for a minute. Cook the rice by adding the vegetable broth prepared in another pot a little at a time. Don't forget to stir continuously!
- When the rice is cooked, add the grated pecorino and the minced summer truffle, stirring on a very low heat, until the cheese has melted. Serve warm
Pasta alla Norcina
Ingredients
- 360 gm Mezze maniche pasta
- Carpaccio Precious Truffle (Norcino truffle)
- 250 gm Sausages
- 200 ml Cooking Cream Try Double Cream if not available
- 1/2 Glass White Wine
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Abruzzese Pecorino optional
Instructions
- In a pan pour add 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fry the finely chopped onion. Add the crumbled sausage, let it brown it without letting it become toasted!. Add the white wine, let it evaporate and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Whilst your sausage is cooking, boil your pasta in plenty of salted water.
- Add the cooking cream to the sausage, leave to cook for a few seconds and then add salt and pepper. Keeping the heat very low add your a little of your truffle carpaccio according to taste.
- Drain the pasta and pour it into the pan containing the sauce and stir with the help of a spoon. Garnish with fresh truffle or a couple of slices of your carpaccio truffle and a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 11 and juggles her work as a self-employed freelance travel and food web content manager and copywriter and EFL teacher - she is the founder of English in the Woods. She is the co-founder of the social enterprises: The Abruzzo Blogger Community and Let's Blog Abruzzo. She is currently writing the book 'Abruzzo: Folk and Food.