Think truffle and a gorgeous image of a rich chocolatey cake or chocolate balls coated with white chocolate and topped with crushed rose petals will pop in your mind. Our understanding of truffle is extremely limited, however, truffle hunting is an experience in Europe.
From the little knowledge that we have gathered from watching MasterChef, we now know that truffles are considered a speciality that are highly sought after for their unique taste, aroma and rarity. Truffles are used in a wide variety of dishes that range from savoury to sweet, to enhance not only the taste but to also add an impressive luxurious experience to your culinary adventures.
Chef Massimo Verzini, Italian speciality, Marriott Suites Pune, has curated a delectable truffle experience for all Punekars to give them an opportunity to enjoy the finer things in life with their Truffle Festival at Sorriso. The chef surely is impressed by this luxurious ingredient and talks highly of it. He explains that the truffle is an extraordinary ingredient available for a few months in a year, starting from October to February. “They have an intoxicating aroma which is very distinctive and gastronomically appealing,” says Verzini.
There are two types of truffles — white and black, which grow in nature and are completely wild. Verzini says that truffles grow underground on the roots of chestnut, oak, hazelnut and other trees. “Back in Italy, getting hold of these truffles is quite an experience. People go with family and friends hunting for the prized truffle and it is a joyful thing to do,” says the chef.
But how does the truffle taste? Verzini explains that the black truffle has more chocolatey-nutty and earthy flavours, with a slight mushroom taste and the white truffle has an aroma like deer musk and tastes a bit garlicky close to the flavour of shallots. “It is this pungent aroma and subtle flavour that can turn any traditional or regular dish into a gourmet experience because they have the ability to enhance the savoury and sweet flavours,” explains Verzini.
The chef adds that the winter black truffles are best used when cooking a dish, as their aroma and flavour are long-lasting, and will seep into your preparation. Many types of fish, red meat, and even chicken, rabbit and other white meats pair well with fresh truffles and they also pair well with truffle oil. He informs that truffles are usually used in the form of oil, shavings and tiny bits while cooking. “While a few use the oil to cook in, I personally like using truffle at the end of the dish, mostly while serving it to the guest, because that way they can experience the freshness of the ingredient and get tantalised by its aroma,” he says.
Talking about the festival that he has curated, he says that the menu includes some of the finest dishes like Gnocchi Ripieni Di Scarmoza, Salsa Al Tartufo Bianco — which is homemade gnocchi stuffed with smoked scarmoza, white truffle sauce, French butter; Risotto Al Parmigiano — which is risotto cooked in Parmigiano Reggiano water for an extraordinary creamy texture; Tagliolini Cacio E Pepe — which is fresh homemade tagliolini, pecorino cheese and black pepper emulsion; and a truffle-themed dessert Tagliata, Rucola E Grana — which is a chocolate salami-shaped dessert served with cookies and honey truffle.
The Truffle Festival is underway at Sorriso, Marriott Suites Pune, till December 10 from 11 am-11 pm
