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SNUFFLE FOR THE
TRUFFLE By Nicholas Henare
You might wonder how I ended up with my nose buried in a freshly dug hole on the side of a hill in North Canterbury on a blustery winter’s day.
I The truffle is the hero of the dish.
was hunting the elusive Perigord Truffle; one of the most sought-after dining delicacies. With the help of Sophie, a truffle hunting dog, and Gavin and Anne Hulley from Amuri Truffiere, we were in for a delightful afternoon savouring this most fun of fungus. Keeping an eye out for ‘pushups’- where the soil is pushed up from the growing truffle - we tread carefully through the Hazelnut and Oak Trees which host the truffles. They have a symbiotic relationship. Gavin Hulley has his nose to the ground to bring the Kiwi version of the highly-sought after French truffle delicacy to restaurant tables. South African immigrants, Gavin and wife Anne, planted their first truffle trees in North Canterbury in 1997. Truffles thrive in limestone-rich soils like Amuri Truffiere’s in Waikari. Gavin and Anne would like truffles to be used from fine dining right through to funky cafes, as a little goes a long way, especially when the truffle is the hero of the dish.
For instance, they work really well when encapsulated in a ravioli, or even a pie, as the aroma gets trapped, and one bite releases the aroma and taste. They’re harvested during winter, and depending on summer rains, they start forming underground about February, with the harvest usually forming June to August. We were lucky, and managed to get the first truffle of the season and sat down to Gavin preparing us truffle infused scrambled eggs on San Francisco Sour dough with truffle soup washed down with a bit of Moët. We were obviously gathering for the upcoming Festival on 15-30 July - you get to take advantage of Gavin and Anne’s knowledge and hard work at the annual Truffle Festival. Find out more by visiting www.canterburytrufflefestival.nz. Get amongst it and try this epicurean delight soon.
Metropol July 06, 2017 35