Behind the French Menu: La Truffe de Périgord, la Truffe Noire - The Perigord Truffle, the Black Truffle in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Perigord Truffles

The Black Perigord Truffle, the Black Diamond.

The most famous and expensive of all French truffles.

www.flickr.com/photos/60173925@N06/32162819631/

Truffles are members of the funghi family along with their cousins the mushrooms. Wild mushrooms can pop up in your garden or in the woods after the rain, but truffles are more difficult to find as they grow and mature under the ground, among the roots of trees. Many mushrooms have been cultivated and are now available all year round, but truffle cultivation remains a work in progress. There are some claims of success for cultivated truffles, but not enough reaches the markets to affect prices.

Farmer with trained truffle pig, painting from 1911-1912

Farmers use trained dogs and pigs to smell for the hidden truffles.

Nouvel atlas de poche des champignons comestibles et vénéneux. v.1.

Paris, Léon Lhome,1911-1912.

Photograoh courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/6459652917/sizes/m/

Truffles have a unique ability to flavor and scent food. The Perigord truffle, grated onto fried or poached eggs or lightly flavored foods such as boiled vegetables, creates an aroma and taste that makes you want to eat. If you try and smell the Perigord truffle on its own, in a market or in a restaurant before it is grated, then you can sense, not just smell, the slightly sweet, mushroomy, and hazelnut scent and taste. However, on food, the aroma changes as it blends with those of the foods making the mouth water and the food tastier.

Spinach and the Perigord Truffle.

Photograph courtesy of Dana McMaha

www.flickr.com/photos/travelingmcmahans/8558979067/

The ancient province of Perigord, now mostly included in the department of Dordogne, became internationally famous, along with its truffles, in the early 19th century with the formalizing of French Haute Cuisine and the popularity of restaurants with the public. (Before the French revolution began in 1789 there were less than 100 restaurants in Paris versus 2,000 not long after). The Perigord truffle that was found there in quantity (now much reduced) is, however, not unique to Perigord, it bears the name because that’s where they were first found in quantity. Perigord Cuisine remains one of the most important cuisines of France.

A lobster consomme with shrimp dumplings

flavored with the Black Truffle of Perigord and wild mushrooms.

Photograph courtesy of Ross Bruniges

www.flickr.com/photos/thecssdiv/5718776564/

Altogether, there are six French truffles competing to be on your menu, but only two can really set a gourmet’s mouth water just thinking about them. In order of importance, the two are the Perigord truffle and the Truffe de Bourgogne, the Burgundy Truffle. This post is about the Perigord Truffle, the Truffe de Périgord,, also called the Truffe Noire, the Black Truffle, the Truffe du Vaucluse, the Truffe du Tricastin, the Truffe de Bonneville, the Truffe Vraie or the Tuber Melanosporum which is its Latin name.

Farmer training his dog to search for the Perigord truffles.

Most of the farmers have switched to dogs from pigs that were trained to find truffles. Dogs are more photogenic even if their sense of smell is below that of a pig.

Picture courtesy of Tourisme Salignac

Fresh black Perigord truffles are available from the end of November to mid-March, and since truffles have a short shelf life any that are not used within two weeks will become truffle oil or truffle essence. There is more on truffle oil and truffle essence at the end of this post.

A restaurant’s menu may note:

Truffes en saison – Truffles in season.

Truffes Selon Caprices du Temps – Truffles are available according to the quirks of the market! Some days there will be very few truffles and on others an overabundance. This notice will be on many menus in restaurants famous for their truffles.

Asperges Vertes à la Truffe Noire du Périgord - Green asparagus served with the black Périgord truffle. Here thinly grated pieces of truffle will be added, when served, to the freshly, but lightly, boiled asparagus.

Brouillade aux Truffes Noires du Périgord (tuber melanospurum)-

Brouillade is a light version of scrambled eggs that originated in Provence, France. The eggs whites are beaten separately and only then mixed with the yolks; that provides a light and delicate form of scrambled eggs. I have tried this three times, and only once could I taste and enjoy the change that truffles make; then, the truffles were grated in front of me. The other times, the dishes had no truffle taste, just a few black dots and a hint of garlic, and that was it. Only order black truffle dishes where the truffles are grated in front of you! BYW, truffles, like virgin olive oils, lose their taste when cooked.

Brouillade à la truffe noire

Photograph courtesy of Couleur Lavande

www.flickr.com/photos/couleurlavande/8634163499/

Carpaccio de Bœuf Juste Mariné à la Truffe Noire du Périgord - A beef Carpaccio marinated with the black Perigord truffle; truffle oil will be used here along with the grated truffle.

Consommé à la Râpée de Truffe du Périgord - A consomme flavored with shavings from the black Perigord truffle. The consommé soup used here will, like all traditional consommés be a clear soup and here it is almost certainly made with a veal stock that is then flavored with the truffle when served.

Sweetbreads with a truffle, salsify and mushroom ragout.

Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack

www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/12214272873/

Crème Brulée aux Truffes du Tricastin – Crème Brulée flavored with the Tricastin truffle. The Truffe du Tricastin –The Tricastin truffle is the same truffle as the Périgord truffle, but here in the old province of Tristan they use the local name.

Demi Langouste en Salade, Huile de Truffe du Périgord - Half a rock-lobster, that’s the owner of the lobster tail; here it is served with a salad flavored with Perigord truffle oil. There is more about truffle oil and how it is made at the end of this post.

Puligny-Montrachet is a great white wine

Pair one with your rock-lobster; but order one that’s two or three years old. The price of the 1955 in this picture may give you indigestion.

Photograph courtesy of Pierre LANNES

www.flickr.com/photos/titounet/5813026136/

Filet de Bœuf Rôti, Sauce à la Truffe Noire du Périgord – A filet of roast beef served with a sauce made with the black Périgord truffle.

Glace à la Truffe Noire - Ice cream flavored with the Perigord truffle; this is a rarely seen dessert. When I next see this on a French menu, it will be a rare opportunity to enjoy something I have always missed.

Oignon de Roscoff Cuisiné à la Truffe Fraîche du Périgord – A Roscoff onion cooked, here it is probably baked, and then on serving flavored with the black Perigord truffle; this is an entrée, the French starter. The French, in this menu item actually translates as “with a fresh Perigord truffle”; however, there is no way any French chef could or would use a truffle that is not fresh; it would be bland and close to useless.

Onion Johnnies from Roscoff still working in the UK in 2014

Photograph courtesy of Shawn Spencer-Smith

www.flickr.com/photos/forkcandles/15567183182/

The onion noted above is the unique Oignon Rosé de Roscoff AOP, from the area around the port of Roscoff in Bretagne, Brittany. This onion has a story known to those from the UK who remember buying strings of onions when many "Onion Johnnies" cycled around Britain in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s selling their wares; a few still do. If you love onions, then when in the area of Roscoff on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday in August, do not miss out on the Fête de l'Oignon de Roscoff, the Roscoff onion festival with its market.

Tagliatelle With Black Truffles

Photograph courtesy of Dion Hinchcliffe

www.flickr.com/photos/dionhinchcliffe/13869792214/

Risotto Carnaroli à la Truffe Fraîche du Périgord, Copeaux de Parmesan - A Carnaroli rice risotto made with the black truffle of Perigord served with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Carnaroli rice may not be well known, but amongst Italian and French chefs, it is indisputably the best, and also the most expensive rice for risotto. Carnaroli rice comes from the same area of Piedmont Italy as the better-known, and less expensive, Arborio and Baldo risotto kinds of rice.

Marche de Truffes, a truffle market in Perigord

Photograph courtesy of the Office de Tourisme Valle de la Dordogne

Salade de Roquette à l'Huile de Truffe Noire du Périgord – A salad of wild rocket leaves, flavored with olive oil that has been flavored with the black Perigord truffle. Wild rocket leaves have a cleaner taste than the larger farmed leaves. For truffle oil, see the end of this post.

Chocolate truffles.

Chocolate truffles were originally filled with real truffles, hence the name. Unfortunately for all of us, there is nere a truffle in chocolate truffles today.

Photograph courtesy of David Leggett

www.flickr.com/photos/theleggett/4371675204/

Perigord truffles by any other name:

Truffe de Bonneville - This is the same truffle as the Truffe Noir de Périgord but found in the department of Charente in Nouvelle Aquitaine. If you are visiting the region between December and February, then consider that there is a truffle market that begins at 9.00 am every Tuesday in the Hotel Fox in the small town of Jarnac in the department of Charente. Double-check the market days with the French Government Tourist Office as French market days are not written in stone.

Truffe du Tricastin –The Tricastin truffle; the same truffle as the Truffe Noir de Périgord. Tricastin is a historic region in the Rhône valley of southeastern France and includes part of the department Drôme in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and part of the department of Vaucluse in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Here in the village of Grignan and three other, close by, villages between Lyon and Avignon, they have truffle markets on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings, from mid-November to mid-March. The markets alternate among the villages. If you are traveling in the area, the local French Government Tourist Office will advise you which one village holds the truffle market when you visit.

The village of Grignan also has an annual truffle and wine market and fair, the Marché aux Vins et Truffes du Tricastin just before the end of the year. If you are visiting, then along with the truffles, you will have an opportunity to visit a miniature Provencal village and to taste the local red, white, and rosé wines. Grignan is close to the Abbey of Aiguebelle, where they produce the herbal drink Alexion and to the town of Nyon with its famous black olives.

Truffe du Vaucluse – This truffle is the also same as the Perigord Truffle. By using the name of their department, they are trying to make sure that everyone knows the source is not Perigord/Dordogne. Vaucluse is a department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Already at the end of the 18th century, the region was well-known as an excellent place to find the Perigord truffle. To improve the quantities available in the early 1800’s they planted hundreds of oaks trees here; it was already well understood that truffles loved the protection of oak trees. Today Vaucluse, through that foresighted planting of oak trees, produces nearly 50% of all the Perigord Truffles in France.

Today, there are many truffle markets in Vaucluse. If you are going to be in the area between the beginning of December and March check the dates with the French Government Tourist Information Office.

Essence de Truffle – Truffle Essence

Essence de Truffe – Truffle essence; this is a concentrated flavoring made by steeping truffle peelings in sweet wine, usually Madeira. Truffle oil is produced in a similar manner. Truffle essence imparts some of the flavors of truffles to dishes while using slightly past their prime the truffle shavings, and without adding oil. More importantly, for the chef, truffle essence may be stored and is available all year round. Most French chefs prefer to make their own, and then they control the flavor of the finished product.

Truffle oil

Huile de Truffe – Truffle oil; chefs have made truffle oil for at least two hundred years by soaking truffle shavings in olive oil. The final product is a strongly flavored oil that will add some of the flavors of truffles, and truffle oil may also be stored year-round. When you buy commercially prepared truffle oil, it is unlikely that the amount of truffles used is anywhere near the amount of truffle a chef would use in his or her homemade product. Look carefully at the label, and like truffle essences, do not buy products that note they are made with truffle flavor; that is not the real thing and from my experience doesn't taste like the real thing. .Remember, neither truffle oil or truffle essence can add any texture

Black truffle oil

Photograph courtesy of Florence Andrews

www.flickr.com/photos/185623951@N02/49116317116/

The Perigord Truffle in the languages of France’s neighbors:
(Catalan - tòfona negra), (Dutch - zwarte truffel ), (German - schwarze trüffle, echte trüffel, Französische truffle, perigord trüffel), (Italian- tartufo nero, nero pregiato), (Spanish - trufa de Périgord or trufa negra), (Latin - tuber melanosporum).

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