Wine And Spirits….And Ice Cream?
What in the world are we talking about? Truffles, that’s what.
Highly prized and often referred to as “black diamonds”, Black Périgord Truffles from France are not an everyday item in the kitchen unless you are a chef at a higher end restaurant. We were intrigued to read recently that Australia is now the biggest producer of Périgord truffles in the Southern Hemisphere and there is brisk demand for them by chefs around the U.S.
Périgord truffles are a winter item but because the seasons are reversed, the Australian imports are available in our summer. Chefs are excited not only about their quality but the opportunity to use them in summer foods.
The importer is Frank Burnacci of Chicago, himself a celebrated chef and an Australian ex-pat. Frank likes to test the limits and has given us a couple of recipes, one being a riff on the Dirty Martini and the other for a mouthwatering dessert using summer fruit. Click here to go to our Entertainment page for the recipes and how you can purchase some truffles from Frank.
But what about ice cream? Yes, you can use truffles in ice cream. We found the following site http://mymiacucina.wordpress.com/category/black-perigord-truffle/ that has the story of truffle hunting in Manjimup, in the state of Western Australia, where the truffles flourish, as well as suggestions for using and preserving them in various way, including in ice cream. It’s a delightful trip into truffle world.
You can also check out www.australiantruffle.com for more details.
Bon appétit!