How To Cook With Truffle

Wash the artichokes well, then scrape off the thin outside layer with a kitchen knife. Cut the artichokes into thin slices and soak in water for 20 minutes, then drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes to soften, then add the chopped bacon and fry for another couple of minutes. Next add the artichokes and pour in the stock. Bring to a gentle boil, add the salt, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, in a frying pan, heat the olive oil for the croutons and gently fry the garlic. Add the rye bread strips and sauté for about five minutes. Sprinkle with salt, then drain on kitchen towel until cooled and crispy. Just before serving, drizzle them with the truffle oil.

In another frying pan, fry the four rashers of bacon until crispy, then remove from the pan, drain on kitchen towel and chop.

Remove the soup from the heat, pour into a blender or food processor and blend to the desired consistency.

Serve the soup with the bacon and chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Finally, drizzle each soup bowl with a little extra truffle oil and serve the rye bread croutons either on top or on the side.

First make the mushroom mixture by heating the olive oil and garlic gently in a saucepan. Allow the garlic to turn golden before adding the sliced mushrooms and salt. Fry until the mushrooms have softened and their liquid has been released.

Take off the heat, tilt the mushrooms to one side of the pan and collect the mushroom juices in the other side of the pan. Stir the flour into the liquid until smooth and put back on the heat. Stir continuously until you have a thick liquor coating the mushrooms. Leave to cool.

Preheat the grill to its absolute highest setting, and place a large, ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and let it get screaming hot.

Meanwhile, flatten and stretch the dough ball to make a 10-inch pizza base.

Lay the pizza base flat in the hot, dry frying pan, then spread with some mushroom mixture. Top with the basil, a grating of parmesan and the olive oil.

Once the base of the pizza has browned, about 1-2 minutes, add the mozzarella, then place the frying pan under the grill on the highest shelf.

Once the crust has taken on some colour, about 1-2 minutes, drizzle with the truffle oil and eat.

For the bechamel, warm the milk together with spices. In a second pan, melt butter gently and as soon as its melted add flour. Continue stirring and cook through over medium to low heat, until the smell changes from raw to cooked biscuit. Slowly add in the milk and spices, a ladleful at a time, while continuing to stir vigorously, until all the milk is used up. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Sauce should be thick and silky. Pass through fine sieve and reserve.

Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into large florets and steam or blanche in salted water until cooked through. Refresh into iced water immediately. Once cold, drain well and set aside.

Heat 300g of bechamel in a pan and stir through 80g of grated cheddar cheese until melted and combine. Take the cheesy bechamel off the heat and add in the steamed cauliflower. Stir until every piece of cauliflower is well coated.

Tip all the cheesy bechamel-coated cauliflower into an ovenproof dish and set aside.

To make the sage crumb, slice the sage finely and combine with panko crumbs and 80g of grated cheddar.

Cover the top of cauliflower generously with the crumb and bake at 190°C for 15 minutes.

As soon as the cauliflower cheese comes out of the oven, top with truffle oil – be as generous as you please. Serve immediately.

Melt the butter with the truffle oil in a frying pan. Add the shallot and half of the finely chopped truffle, then the chopped mushrooms. Let it brown for a few minutes, then deglaze with white wine, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, and then stir.

In another saucepan, cook your pasta in boiling salted water, until it’s a little less than al dente.

Mix the mascarpone with the truffle cream in another saucepan and heat gently.

Add the pasta, grated parmesan and a little bit of cooking water, if necessary.

Serve immediately, garnishing with fine slithers of the remaining truffle (you can use a peeler for this).