Truffles may be one of the most expensive ingredients in the world, but they are more accessible than you think
TRUFFLES may be one of the most expensive ingredients on the planet, but in Sydney, they’re actually more accessible than you think.
TRUFFLES retail for $2000 a kilo, but when you are talking grams rather than kilos, it becomes an affordable luxury.
Devon Cafe served its first truffle toastie five years ago and the response was so “crazy” the menu has gotten bigger every year.
“No one was doing truffles in a cafe at the time and there was so much demand for it,” executive chef Zachary Tan says.
“It was affordable, we weren’t charging an arm and a leg to walk into a white-tablecloth restaurant and have to spend $150 a head for a truffle tasting menu. It was very casual; scrambled eggs on toast and shaved truffle on top.”
Devon Cafe’s three venues — Surry Hills, North Sydney and Barangaroo — go through about 5kg of truffle a week.
“Truffles work with something really simple, such as a plain, creamy backdrop to let the produce shine,” Tan says.
“Creamy, fatty ingredients carry the flavour. When a dish is hot and warm, the truffle hits it and the aroma comes through; 50 per cent of the flavour is the aroma and 50 per cent is the taste. You are breathing it more than eating it.”
While the toastie, $28, is still on the menu, Tan’s favourite dish is the sea urchin, or uni, pasta, $38.
“It’s really decadent, rich and perfect for winter,” he says.
“A shellfish bisque gives a good depth of flavour, we emulsify fresh uni in there and serve it with fresh truffle and uni on top.”
Truffle farmer Jayson Mesman says a $100 truffle is enough to show a dinner party of 12 people a good time.
“Infuse eggs or arborio rice with the truffle in an airtight container for 48 hours, then shave truffle over the dish,” he says.
The Star, 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont
If you are looking for indulgence on top of indulgence,
go for the grade-seven marbled
wagyu with white polenta and sweetbread, $68.
46a Macleay St, Potts Point
Its signature fried chicken comes with shaved truffle, $8 per two grams.
“It sounds outre but it’s actually all quite complementary; the chicken is brined in buttermilk and truffle goes quite well with soy and maple syrup,” chef Ben Sears says. “If you think about what a truffle tastes like — mushrooms, garlic and deep savoury notes — then serving it with fried chicken starts to make a lot more sense.”
613A Elizabeth St, Redfern
The Celebrating Truffles menu includes a mandarin and honey crumpet, $24, and Peking duck pasta with fresh truffle, $36.
Circular Quay, Broadway and Drummoyne
The truffle pizza, $28, comes with scamorza cheese, fior di latte,
French goat’s cheese, mushrooms and fresh truffle
21 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
Ricotta ravioli with black truffle, burnt butter, thyme and walnut served with an aged parmesan fondue, $34.
Lower Ground Floor, Sydney GPO Building, Martin Pl, City
The entree of warmed leek salad with mustard and black truffle dressing, shaved radish and Tasmanian truffle, $34, is a take on a classic dish served in France during truffle season.
613 Great North Rd, Abbotsford
Fish and lobster mornay pie is served with a mound of truffled potatoes, $39.
346 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst
Faux truffles, $14, are a playful starter meant to look like actual truffles. The savoury choux puffs are filled with sunchoke cream, smoked trout and lumpfish caviar, topped with grated black truffle.
101 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich
Truffle semifreddo, $28, mixes truffle with chocolate, coconut and salted caramel.
… OR TRUFFLES TO ORDER
Fresh truffle grated over any dish will cost you:
● $12 per gram at Blanca Bar & Dining
● $3 per gram at The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, and don’t forget their famed truffled snapper pie (when available)
● $15 per 3g at Ormeggio, The Spit
● $25 per 5g at Otto Ristorante
● $25 per 3g at The Wilmot