Today we will focus on how to clean truffles, because it is certainly interesting to see what use to make of them in the kitchen, but if you don't treat them in the right way first, the rest is secondary.
The truffle, "magical sculpture of the earth" to use a poetic description, is an underground mushroom of which there are more than thirty different species in Europe alone. Its name derives from the late latin "terrae tufer" ("tuber" in classical latin) which means "excrescence of earth", precisely to recall its particular irregular shape. It is a highly appreciated product which is divided into two main types : The black truffle, also called the Norcia truffle and the more prized white truffle, known as the Alba or Piedmontese truffle. The two species must be treated differently in the kitchen :
1) To clean the white truffle, only use a toothbrush or brush with soft bristles
2) While when cleaning the black one you can also pass it under cold water.
- Furthermore, the white variety should be used "to grate" without cooking, mainly on cold or raw dishes, to preserve all its aroma and slight hint of hazelnut;
- On the contrary, the black truffle can be added to the dishes being cooked, at the end.
The truffle pairs perfectly with delicately flavored dishes such as poached or fried eggs, fettuccine, risotto, vegetable fillings such as onions, Fassona steak cooked with a knife or a tasty fillet-based dish.
So here's how to clean the truffle and how to store it correctly!
HOW TO CLEAN THE TRUFFLE
To preserve the truffle that you have purchased or that someone has given you as a gift, you can keep it closed for a few days in a glass jar, perfectly clean and dry. To preserve all its fragrance it is necessary to maintain a correct level of humidity inside. For this purpose, it is recommended to wrap it, not yet washed, with clean, dry gauze, kitchen paper or a small piece of cloth without laundry odors. The important thing is that it is wrapped with a breathable material that allows oxygen exchange. Then place it in a dry and clean glass jar, close the lid and place the jar in a cool place, even on the least cold shelf of the refrigerator, for about a week.
When the time has come to use the truffle in your preparations, if it is the black one, rinse it under cold running water to eliminate the excess soil and clean it carefully, removing any impurities using a brush or a brush with semi-hard bristles (if it is a white truffle, you can use a toothbrush or brush with very soft bristles). Once this is done, the truffle will be ready to be sliced thinly with the appropriate truffle slicer, to season first courses, eggs or flavor tender fillets!
STORAGE
Truffle is a very delicate ingredient. It is possible to store it in a cool place for a short period (maximum 7-8 days) wrapped in breathable gauze and closed in a glass jar.
Previously cleaned, the black truffle can also be frozen whole, although it would lose part of its fragrant aroma.
ADVISE
Place the truffle in closed jars containing eggs or rice, so they will acquire their intense aroma! Take care, however, to keep the truffle in contact with the rice as little as possible since the latter is a natural dehydrator and would favor the rapid drying of this special mushroom.
CURIOSITY
Already widespread in ancient Egypt as a dish cooked "in foil" wrapped in fat (the "Terfezia"), the truffle was also appreciated by the Greeks and Romans who attributed it therapeutic and aphrodisiac properties as they believed it to be of divine origin. In medieval times, however, it was believed that the truffle was an evil fruit and, for a period, it was no longer consumed. Luckily for us this false story was no longer believed!