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What to do when you invite someone round, how to set the table, how to arrange the
seating.
A few simple rules for you to remember.
With the arrival of autumn, we start thinking about mushrooms and seasonal truffles, and therefore also about the problems relating to cleaning, cutting and preparing them. Here follows some useful
advice.
| MUSHROOMS |
How to clean mushrooms
Mushrooms should preferably be cleaned without being
washed: one by one, they should be scrubbed with a soft brush or a damp
cloth, and the stalk scraped with a knife. The very muddy
areas, such as the base of the stalk, should be cut away.
If there are traces of sand between the tubules and the lamella, gently use a stiff bristled paintbrush until the mushroom is completely
clean.
How to cut mushrooms
The way in which mushrooms should be cut depends on what they are to be used
for. If they will be used to prepare salads or sauces, they can be sliced thinly with a sharp knife or a
truffle-slicer.
If, instead, they are required as a side dish or for a risotto, they can be chopped finely or in a brunoise style. Many recipes only require the caps of the
mushrooms, in that case, the stalks can be used for the preparation of stuffing or
soups.
If, instead, the whole mushroom is required, remember that they should be sliced
lengthways, without dividing the cap from the stalk, the presentation will certainly be more impressive in this way. |
| THE
RECIPE |
Mushroom
(edible boletus) sauce with black truffle
Ingredients:
Mushrooms 150g
Black truffle 100g
Garlic 1 clove
Anchovy 1 fillet
Oil, salt, pepper As required
Heat the oil and add the garlic, anchovy, grated black truffle and chopped
mushrooms. Mix, remove the garlic and season as
required. |
| TRUFFLE |
Truffle picking
The season for truffle picking coincides with the slow transition from autumn to
winter. The hunter, in order to be successful in his search, must learn to
'read' the environment around him, to understand it and respect it.
Keeping truffles
Black and white truffles can be kept in various ways, but I advise one method in
particular, which requires the use of an airtight container in order to conserve their distinct aroma. After having laid the truffles in the container, cover with ash or rice to keep the level of humidity constant and stop them from drying out or
rotting, remove them only when required.
If you use rice to store the truffles, remember that it will absorb their aroma, so
don't throw it away, but use it for excellent risottos. Another suggested method of keeping
truffles, is to use wicker containers. Wrap the truffles individually in
damp, absorbent 'straw' card which you must remember to dampen every day. With this
method, you must eat the truffle within a shorter period of time, because the conservation time is significantly
shorter.
Preparation, cut and presentation of white and black truffles
Truffles should be cleaned using a standard, fairly stiff bristled brush and
paintbrush, in order to eliminate most of the earth, and then with a
cloth, to remove the rest. The most valuable truffles are eaten
raw, and cut using a specialised truffle-slicer upon
serving. Less valuable truffles are used as garnish or in the preparation of
sauces. They should first be cut into small pieces and lightly fried in oil with
garlic, anchovy and thyme, and then place directly on the plate in a brunoise style. |
| THE
RECIPE |
Black truffle sauce
Ingredients:
Black truffle 100g
Garlic 1 clove
Anchovy 1 fillet
Lemon, oil as required
Lightly fry, for no more than 3 minutes, the chopped black
truffle, anchovy, and garlic in a little oil, with a drop of lemon and season with salt and pepper as
required. You will obtain an aromatic sauce that can be used in many different
ways.
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