Winter Truffles

With winter well suddenly here I guess its time to start thinking about warming dishes.  Hearty soups, stews and braises, made even better with the edition of  Australian chestnuts and truffle. With chestnuts its important to score the shell, unless you want them to explode in the oven. Roast them in the oven until the shells are split.  Allow to cool and peel. You can eat them straight from the shell or add them in a stew, a risotto, maybe with mushrooms, truffles and raddichhio or a wonderfully creamy lentil or pureed vegetable soup. Truffles start a little later in the season and are great on pasta, with eggs or a risotto.  Here are few photos from last season.

Tasmanian truffle

Tasmanian truffle

Fontina and black truffle pizza

Fontina and black truffle pizza

Golden brodo with veal tortellini and black truffle

Golden brodo with veal tortellini and black truffle

Lentil and chestnut soup with a saute of swiss brown mushrooms and Tasmanian truffles.

Lentil and chestnut soup with a saute of swiss brown mushrooms and Tasmanian truffles.

Hand made taglitelle with fontina and freshly shaved black truffle.

Hand made taglitelle with fontina and freshly shaved black truffle.

Roasted Cape Grim beef with a chestnut gratin and freshly shaved Tasmanian truffle.

Roasted Cape Grim beef with a chestnut gratin and freshly shaved Tasmanian truffle.

Chestnuts roasting on the open fire.

Chestnuts roasting on the open fire.

Chestnuts ready for peeling.

Chestnuts ready for peeling.