Diamond of Cookery

Although the use of truffles in cooking is less than in the past, because of its rarity and high price, the prestige of the truffle remains the same and the superlatives attributed to it are an indication of its almost mythical quality: "Diamond of Cookery" or "Black Queen", among many others. The BBC recently reported that one of the biggest truffles found in decades, which weighed 1.5kg, was sold at an auction for US $330,000 (all proceeds from the auction were donated to charities).

Truffles are eaten raw or cooked, cut into strips or slices, diced or shredded, in the form of juice, fumet or essence. They occur often in combination with foie gras, and sometimes Madeira, Port or Sherry is added to enhance the flavor. Truffles also feature in various sauces and garnishes. However, the true connoisseur enjoys them whole and fresh, either raw with butter or salad, or cooked.

If not available fresh, truffles can be bought in cans, peeled or scrubbed, ripe and whole. Truffle-flavored oils, vinegars, pastes and sauces are also available. The oils and vinegars are useful and provide a comparatively inexpensive way of bringing the flavor of truffles to dishes. It is advisable to check the list of ingredients on pots of paste and sauces, as they may include flavor enhancers and a large proportion of seasoning, which can limit their use in some recipes.

Truffle or Mushroom?

The difference between a truffle and a mushroom is that the word mushroom refers only to edible fungi that generally have a cap and a stem. Those without the typical stem and cap are identified by their specific names such as morels or truffles. The shape of a truffle is an irregular spheroid with a lumpy surface, often described as warty; its texture is fleshy. Though we may hear the term wild mushroom referring to portabella, oyster mushroom, shiitaki, enoki, and crimini mushrooms, most of these mushrooms are actually grown on farms rather than gathered in the wild. So far it has proven impossible to cultivate truffles.

Thunder Wonder of the Desert

Other than the true truffles (Tuberales), there are several truffle-like fungi in the desert. Because of their rarity, they're one of the most expensive commodities on the perishable goods market. Desert truffles are a species of the fungi family that are distantly related to the more expensive European varieties. There are two main types of desert truffles, Terfezia and Tirmania, found around the Mediterranean, especially along the North African coast from Morocco to Egypt and farther east across the desert plain from Syria to Iraq. Desert truffles go by different names in different places. In Morocco they are called 'Terfez' - probably the source of the Latin Botanical name the 'Terfezia'. In Egypt, the Bedouin of the Western desert call them 'Ter-fas'. The Kuwaitis call them 'Fagga', the Saudis 'Fag', the Syrians 'Kamaa'. The Iraqis call them 'Kamaa' or 'Chima', depending on local dialects.

History tells us that 2000 years ago, desert truffles were being exported in vast numbers to Rome from the Empire's North African provinces. Ibn Battuta even encountered them in his travels in the Sahara desert, near present-day Mali, in the middle of the14th century. In antiquity, desert truffles were believed to have not only beneficial and healing powers, but also a powerful aphrodisiac quality.

The truffles spring from microscopic spores distributed just underneath the surface of the sand. A common belief in the Middle East is that the truffles' numbers and size are influenced by the force of thunder and lightning. That could be explained by the fact that thunder cracks the land, and allows the spores which are waiting, lying just under the surface to grow. They grow into long, invisible threads, which attach themselves to the roots of squat rockrose bushes. They begin to crack the surface of the sand, appearing as a field of bumps across the desert. If there are no early thunderstorms, the truffles do not appear; indeed, sellers say five years can go by without any truffles. One Bedouin's nickname for them translates as 'the potatoes of thunder' (nytimes.com).
The other requirement is the autumn rains; they must be just right during October and November to start the truffles germinating. Too much rain at the wrong time can rot the truffle spores. There is some indication that very little rain may be required (as little as 200-250 millimeters) to produce a good crop. If the truffles are not dug up during the few weeks of winter rains, once the sand dries out, they pop up onto the surface where they rot and burst, scattering millions of spores and starting the cycle again.

Desert truffles are comparable to tofu in texture. They can serve as a meat substitute that enhances the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. Chef Atef Mahmoud Abdel Rehim, executive chef at the Adrere Amellal hotel in Siwa, says he can grill them, boil them or cook them with rice. They are not always available but when they are plentiful their price goes down to LE 50/kilo, whereas it can climb up to LE 320/kilo. This is similar to prices found in a Damascus market, US$ 10/kilo, and up to US$ 35/kilo at a Beirut supermarket.
Desert truffles range from the size of golf balls to tennis balls, around 3-10 cm across, weighing from 60-150 gm. They are white to yellowish brown with a soft and fleshy texture. They should never be cooked more than a few minutes. In various recipes, they can be either roasted, blanched, or fried, before adding to omelets, putting on kebabs along with meat or serving alone with olive oil and coriander, as a salad. Some simply sauté them in butter and serve them with fresh Arabic bread. Here is how one connoisseur described the taste of desert truffles: ''There is a dark, reddish-brown version, which is denser and more prized than the slightly spongy white variety. Both resemble small round potatoes - some gnarled, some smooth - and the taste lies between the soft earthiness of a mushroom and the mealy chunkiness of an artichoke."

Sources of information and related articles and recipes

http://saudiaramcoworld.com
http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/recipes.html
http://tomvolkfungi.net/
http://nytimes.com/
http://vegparadise.com/

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Recipes with Truffles

Sauté of Piedmont Truffles
White or black truffles may be used for this recipe. Finely slice the truffles. Put in dish a few tablespoons of olive oil or butter and some good meat glaze, the size of an egg, cut into small pieces. Place the truffles on top with a little salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of olive oil or a few pieces of fine butter. Cover, and frequently stir the truffles with a spoon, replacing the lid of the dish each time. About 8 minutes of cooking should be sufficient. Season with lemon juice before serving.

Truffle Ice Cream
Boil 3 large well-scrubbed truffles in 1 liter milk for about one hour. In the meantime, whisk 8 egg yolks with 250 grams of sugar. Drain, dry and trim the truffles. Pour the milk over the sugar and egg mixture to make a custard; cook until it forms ribbons when the spoon is lifted, then add the chopped truffle trimmings. Allow to cool, then leave to set in an ice cream maker. Cut the truffles into julienne strips. Fill tulip glasses with alternate layers of ice cream and truffle, finishing with a decoration of julienne strips. This ice cream is served as a dessert.

Truffle Salad
Clean some raw truffles and slice finely or cut into julienne strips. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon juice, but without aromatic herbs. (When fresh truffles are not available, preserved truffles can be used.) The truffles may be mixed with sliced boiled potatoes or sliced artichoke hearts.

Truffle Sauce
Cook a very black fresh truffle in a mixture of half Madeira, half meat stock, with a little tomato purée (paste) for 10 minutes. Drain and cut into julienne strips. Cover the pan tightly and reduce the liquid to a few tablespoons, then add 2 egg yolks and the julienne. Thicken with 200 grams of clarified butter, as for a béarnaise sauce. Season with salt and pepper. This sauce is a good accompaniment for poached fish, white meat and asparagus.

Truffle-flavored Consommé
Use beef or chicken consommé. Add 40 grams of fresh truffle peelings to the consommé 5 minutes before it has finished clarifying.

Truffles for Garnishes
Depending on the dish to be garnished, fresh raw truffles are peeled, then cut into strips or dice of varying size, or into quarters, or shaped like olives. Cook gently in butter for a few minutes only, so as not to impair their flavor or texture. Add a few tablespoons of dessert wine and keep hot, but do not boil.
Sterilized truffles or truffles in goose fat, which have already been cooked, need only be heated with the dish that they accompany.

Salmon Steaks Princesse 'Princesse' is a culinary term referring to a rich garnish, distinguished by the inclusion of asparagus tips and slivers of truffle. Take salmon steaks of equal thickness. Prepare some fish fumet, leave it to cool and strain. Put the steaks in a small amount of fumet and poach them. Drain and skin the steaks and arrange on a serving dish, keeping them warm. Use the cooking liquid to make a Normande sauce. Garnish the steaks with slivers of truffle warmed through in butter and with green asparagus tips also cooked in butter.

Source of information for recipes: Larousse Gastronomique. The complete revised and updated version of the Larousse Gastronomique is available at the ECA for LE 450.

Published in Chef's Corner Issue 47
Photos by John Feeney / Courtesy of Saudi Aramco World / PADIA