Playing God: Making Truffle Oil

Truffle oil is one of those things that simply comes in handy. When you have two jars of black truffles to use (not that I’m in a hurry), and you don’t want to waste it on something that doesn’t justify the action, making oil is one of the best choices. It lasts, and you can drizzle it over any plate that you think it couples well. I didn’t empty any of the jars as you can imagine, some little cuts from one of the truffles is all that is necessary to perform this task. I did this a bit by scratch (scary huh?). Since making simple composed oils is, in fact, simple, I made it the most simple way. No fear. No fuss.

First, I’d like to write about truffles. It’s nice to know a little more before you start putting your hands on it. I’m not going into the White Truffle too much, because it’s much harder to purchase and will only make you daydream.

Brief Story of the Truffle

The mention of truffles conjures up images of the expensive French black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) from the Périgord region of southwest France, used in making pâté de foie gras, or the renowned odorous white truffle (Tuber magnatum) of Alba, in the Piedmont district of Italy.

Truffles grow underground among the roots of oak, elm, chestnut, pine, and willow trees where they form a symbiotic relationship with their environment.

Truffles are harvested in Europe with the aid of female pigs or truffle dogs, which are able to detect the strong smell of mature truffles underneath the surface of the ground. The female pig becomes excited when she sniffs a chemical that is similar to the male swine sex attractant. The use of pigs is risky, though, because of their natural tendency to eat any remotely edible thing. For this reason, dogs have been trained to dig into the ground wherever they find these odors, and they willingly exchange their truffle for a piece of bread and a pat on the head. Not a bad trade for the truffle hunter! Some truffle merchants dig for their prizes themselves when they see truffle flies hovering around the base of a tree. Once discovered, truffles can be collected in subsequent years at the same site.

The flavor of the truffle is directly related to its aroma. The chemicals necessary for the odor to develop are created only after the spores are mature enough for release, so they must be collected at the proper time or they will have little taste. This is the only sure indication that the mushrooms are ready to be harvested. That is why animals have proven to be the best means of assuring that the fungi collected will be flavorful.

Cooking with Truffles

Cooking with truffles depends mostly on how they’re stored or how you bought them (preserved, dry…) and what method you choose to apply. I’m going to talk about the preserved, which is stored in a jar with it’s juices. It is said that when a truffle jar is opened, it should be consumed until one week. I think this is very unfortunate fact for me to accept…how am I going to use an entire jar in one week? Here are some ideas on how you can include black truffles in your food:

• Fats: Truffles love cholesterol, so if you want to make a nice and aromatic sauce for chicken, turkey or any other lean meat, this is where you want to put some shavings in. Butter is the best choice, and you can never put too much of it.  Remember that they should be added during confection and not be sitting in your mise en place. Because beware, the aroma will disappear.
• Eggs: The french love this combination. They like to include shavings of black truffle in the egg mixtures for omelets or scrambles. Eggs assimilate very easily the truffles’ earthy odour and it’s easy to combine (leaves almost no room for error in the confection).
• Pasta and Vegetables: Truffles are also good with pasta. Some shavings or thin slices are great as well as sauces for these dishes. As for veggies, most truffles go well with fresh vegetables specially leeks and celery root. Here the truffle oil is best used. You can make simple or more composed salads and drizzle with the oil. I don’t know about shavings. Truffles are very intense, and you want it’s aroma to play with the others, not boss around.

The Mighty Truffle Oil

I have no exact recipe for this. I searched in the internet for something to help me out with the quantities and this is the best that I got from it:

1 teaspoon  fresh black truffle shavings

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (good-quality)

Method:

Chop the truffle shavings in small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the better the truffle’s perfume will permeate the oil.

Add the truffle pieces to the oil. If using preserved instead of fresh, make sure to drain all the juices before.

Store the oil in a cool, dark place. Keep the lid of the container tightly closed, to avoid exposure to oxygen. Sealing it with plastic wrap is good and will ensure that there REALLY isn’t the remotest chance of air coming in.

As you see, making truffle oil is not rocket science. Make sure you use it though, it has a maximum of 3 months life (or so they say!). I think that’s a pretty good deadline, considering I’ll have to use the jar I opened in a week…I don’t know if I even have enough meals at home for this (or if Mia’s going to love this either).

Solution: Food and Wine with friends Saturday night!