Every year, the winery restaurant Black Estate makes rather a celebration out of the Périgord and bianchetto truffles from its neighbours Kings Truffles and Limestone Hills. During the truffle season in June and July, you can enjoy truffle for a dish, book a full truffle menu or – our personal favourite – drop by for a toasted truffle and cheese sandwich outside by the brazier with a glass of pinot noir. If you can’t make it to Black Estate, and you can lay your hands on some truffles, then this will have to suffice. Herewith head chef Olly Le Maitre’s recipe for maximum winter truffle indulgence.
Chestnut Pasta with Porcini Cream, Rainbow Chard and Périgord Truffle
Serves 4
1 brown onion, finely diced
300g Swiss brown mushroom
Porcini cream (see recipe)
1 bunch rainbow chard, sliced
Chestnut pappardelle or fettuccine (see recipe)
25g Périgord truffle
What to do
1. Sweat down onion and mushrooms in a pan till they start to caramelise. Add porcini cream and slowly start to reduce. Once cream starts to thicken, fold rainbow chard through.
2. Boil pasta for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, add to pan and mix through sauce.
3. Season, serve and finish with freshly grated and shaved truffle.
Chestnut Pasta
100g 00 flour
100g chestnut flour
Pinch salt
2 eggs
What to do
1. Sieve flours and salt together into a large metal bowl. Make a well and add lightly beaten eggs. Combine.
2. Tip out onto bench and knead with a little additional flour for 10 minutes. Rest overnight.
3. Roll to 23cm x 5cm, then cut into pappardelle or fettuccine strips.
Porcini Cream
2 Tbsp oil
2 shallots
Handful thyme
3 Tbsp porcini powder (or chopped fresh or dried ceps)
2½ cups cream
Sea salt
Black pepper
What to do
1. Sweat shallot in oil without letting it colour, then add thyme and cook out a little.
2. Add porcini powder or chopped ceps and cook out for a few minutes. Add cream and bring up to a steep but do not boil.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave to cool to room temperature, then strain.
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