What to do with the ACT’s $50 truffles
<p>Sandalwood, seafood, sweaty socks, sugar cane. Stem cells.</p>
<p>It's difficult to describe what a truffle smells like, but that doesn't stop people trying.</p>
<p>Truffle farmer Jayson Mesman has heard the full spectrum of attempts.</p>
<p>The stem cells comparison was from a doctor who had been working in a laboratory, and was visiting Mesman's truffle farm in the ACT.</p>
<p>Guests to The Truffle Farm are invited to participate on truffle hunts, scavenging for the fungus alongside exuberant rescue dogs who've been trained to track the black gold. Then, the humans sit down for a three-course celebration the ingredient.</p>
<p>Truffle prices can range from $3000 to $9000 per kilogram. But Mesman says it's not essential to spend big to make the most of a truffle. In fact, $50 worth can infuse a multi-course meal that leaves a lasting impression.</p>
<p>At The Truffle Farm, Mesman and executive chef Damian Brabender are keen to educate guests on how to make a little truffle go a long way. The secret? Infusion.</p>
<p><img width="499" height="440" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/29324/50-dollar-truffle-in-text_499x440.jpg" alt="50-dollar -truffle -in -text" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p>
<p>The best truffle meal of Mesman's life was a burger, created by Dee Why Hotel chef Brad Johnston.</p>
<p>Mesman advised the chef, known for his "monster burgers", to infuse their Havarti cheese with truffles. So too with the butter, the aioli, and the maple syrup used to cure the bacon.</p>
<p>The Trufflenator has since been voted Australia's best burger, and has earned a permanent spot on the Sydney hotel's menu.</p>
<p>Four more ways with a $50 truffle</p>
<p>So you've gone in search of truffles on a Wednesday to buy truffles for a Friday night dinner party. Mesman is glad - there's time to infuse.</p>
<p><strong>Brie</strong></p>
<p>His first advice is to cut your $50 truffle into quarters, about 8-10g each. Cut a brie in half, shave a piece of truffle, and layer it evenly on the cut side. Stick the halves of the cheese together, and refrigerate for pre-dinner drinks in two days' time.</p>
<p>The starter, Mesman says, will impart an "awesome whack of truffle flavour"</p>
<p>Buy a good cheese, he advises.</p>
<p>"It'll be amazing."</p>
<p><strong>Eggs</strong></p>
<p>Nestle the second quarter into a dozen or two of fresh eggs, in a glass or Tupperware container - the truffle will infuse them through their shells, ready for a hungover breakfast on the Saturday, Mesman says.</p>
<p>"Keep in mind you don't actually have to use that truffle that's in there," he adds. Leave it in the eggs, or use it for something else.</p>
<p>A truffle's culinary qualities are at their best seven to 10 days after harvest, but they'll keep for 30 days in a glass container in the fridge. Mesman advises putting a paper towel in the container, replaced every few days, to absorb any moisture.</p>
<p>"They're 95 per cent water, after 10 days they're going to start to dry out," he explains.</p>
<p>"After about 30 days, you're going to lose all aroma."</p>
<p><strong>Cream</strong></p>
<p>Drop the third quarter into thickened cream. Use the cream in sauce over pasta, for example, or pour it straight over a dessert such as hot apple pie.</p>
<p>Grate a few shards over the top - "you'll get the aroma when it hits you, but it'll do nothing for the taste," Mesman says.</p>
<p>Once the cream is infused, rinse the truffle under the tap, and "it's good to go again".</p>
<p>Truffles grow a white mould when sporing - "you can scrub that off, it won't do any damage".</p>
<p>If the truffle itself turns a snot green, however, it's time to throw it out.</p>
<p><strong>Vodka</strong></p>
<p>Drop the final quarter into a bottle of vodka, and it'll be preserved forever, Mesman says.</p>
<p>Have you ever tried truffles? What’s your favourite thing to do in Canberra? Let us know in the comments section, we’d love to hear from you.</p>
<p><em>Written by Britt Mann. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>
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