Special Event
From the moment we took delivery of our 500 grams of black truffle the love affair had begun. These gnarled black nuggets are the most unassuming culinary wonder ever to grace this earth but it doesn’t matter how much they are talked about they are in no danger of becoming overrated.
The theme of the day was truffle everything...and so we did. We worked into the wee hours of the morning, stoking the roaring fire in the oven before grabbing 3-4 hours shut eye and returning to load the loaves of rustic bread. Cream was whisked to butter, eggs were cracked for custard, savoy cabbages pulled from the garden and the hours were quickly ticking away. Peter Cooper arrived with his dog and set to work stashing truffle “baits” as first up was his demonstration in our front paddock.
As guests returned from the cold and huddled around the fires eating crostini smeared with whipped lard (our pig) and shavings of truffle they watched as thin shavings of black truffle were layered under the skin of free range chickens before they were sent deep into the bowels of the wood-fired oven.
Upon seating, the second course, of Tasmanian Rock lobster both with black truffle was unveiled and subsequently inhaled. After the third course of the chicken in mourning on sautéed savoy cabbage paired with the sublime d’Meure Pinot it was time for more pork, this time in the guise of braised Wessex saddleback shoulder with wild wood blewit mushroom.
Cheese course highlighted the superb 9-month cheddar from Pyengana in the form of a custard with roast Jerusalem artichoke and shaved truffle, steamed and served in an eggshell. The appropriately named “terroir de truffes” rounded out the lunch, a black truffle and rice ice cream rolled in chocolate almond crumbs, served to resemble a freshly dug black truffle.
