SPANISH TRUFFLES
All a truffle hunter needs is a good dog, a small, pointed shovel, a warm jacket, a reliable pair of boots, and expert knowledge. To a far greater extent than hunting for those species of mushroom, called balm (Spanish setas), which grow above ground, the search for those most expensive of fungi, the subterranean truffles, requires knowledge and skill. The best terrain for truffles is a sunny slope at an altitude of 1000-5000 feet (300-1500 meters), with a calcareous soil and an annual rainfall of 12-35 inches (300-900 millimetres). They grow in a symbiotic relationship with hazel, holm oak and oak trees. The soil should be loose-textured, and is usually bare; the truffle growing some 6-12 inches (15-30 centimetres) below ground takes away a great deal of moisture, and destroys small
plants like weedkiller, so that little grass grows beneath trees that have truffles.
The tofonaire (truffle hunter) sets out to roam through the mountains between December and March, accompanied by a highly trained dog which is sent on ahead. A well-trained truffle hound can cost the equivalent of some $1170, but does not have to be any particular breed. The dog can scent a truffle from a distance of up to 330 feet (100 meters). It scratches at the ground over the spot, and is rewarded with a biscuit. The dog has no desire to eat the truffle itself, unlike the pigs which were once used for this task, but were hard to control because of their greed. For the dog, truffle hunting is just a game.
When the faithful dog has located a truffle, the tofonaire cautiously digs away the earth with the shovel, until it is possible to reach in and lift out the truffle by hand. The earth is then replaced layer by layer just as it was, with the soil that had been uppermost still on top. It is important not to trample down the earth over the site, because truffles need loose soil. In two years’ time, as the expert knows, another find may be made on this spot. Despite their care, truffle hunting is becoming ever more difficult. Old hands place the main blame on the availability of orange butane gas cylinders. One truffle hunter says: In the old days, people used to collect firewood in the forest and cleaned up the forest floor. Now, everyone cooks with gas. The forest is full of brushwood, and the sun never reaches the soil. Truffles need warmth to grow.
No one knows precisely how large the total Spanish truffle yield is. Estimates place it somewhere between 33 and 44 tons (30-40 tonnes). Up to 90 per cent of this amount is exported to France, which consumes well over half the world harvest of truffles.
In Spanish cuisine, truffles are used almost exclusively in Catalonia. The word that they have long been an almost unaffordable expensive and scarce commodity has however been received and understood in Castile. An entrepreneur in Soria has made a bold attempt to ease the shortage; he has planted a 1700 acre (680 hectare) site with holm oaks whose roots have been inoculated with truffle spores. It remains to be seen whether the dream of producing a truffle at a democratic price will be fulfilled.
SUPREMA DE MERLUZA CON TRUFA
Medallions of hake with truffles
8 medallions of hake, 3 1.2 oz/100 g each
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 carrot, cut into julienne strips
1 zucchini, cut into julienne strips
1 leek, cut into thin strips
1 tomato, skinned and diced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoon butter
1 back truffle, peeled and finely sliced
1-2 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)
Rinse and clean the hake, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and fry the fish on a low heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Lift out the fish and keep hot.
Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes in the frying oil and juices. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar. Melt the butter in a second frying pan and lightly fry the slices of truffle. Arrange the fish on individual plates with the vegetables and truffle slices to serve. Garnish with pine nuts as liked.
Spanish Recipes with Bill & Sheila>/b>(click on the graphic for more information)
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