Top tips on cooking with truffles

Truffle season in Australia begins in June and runs through to September. These delicate fungi may be pricey, but a little goes a long way and can enhance just about any dish when prepared correctly. Here are Le Cordon Bleu Brisbane lecturer and chef William Pointu’s top tips on cooking with Perigord truffles, plus his recipe for a quick and easy, winter warming truffle risotto. 

William’s cooking and preparation tips:

1. Always use an easy and gentle heat to bring out the flavour. Never boil or fry truffles! 
2. Add the truffle, chopped or sliced finely with a Japanese mandoline or truffle mandoline at the end of a risotto, pasta dish or a soup and let it infuse. 
3. Truffles can be added to terrine, pies or even a salad dressing. 
4. If you want to infuse a poultry, slide a few slices under the skin and let it infuse overnight before roasting the bird. 
5. When making a brown sauce or jus, veal stock is perfect as it has a subtle taste. 
6. Avoid too strong spice so it doesn’t overpower the nice earthy truffle flavour.