Aromatic Crispy and Surmullets with Basil and Vegetables 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 12 fillets red surmullets
• 20  aspargus
• 1 zucchini 
• 1 diced tomato 
• 12 green beans
• 12 basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and white pepper
• semolina 
• extra virgin olive oli for seasoning
• olive oil for frying 

Preparation:

1. Cut vegetables into thin sticks, blanch and let them cool.
2. Brown the garlic clove and other vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, adding diced tomato at the end, add salt and pepper to taste.
3. For the crispy fried surmullets, cut the basil into strips and sprinkle it on the belly of the fish, then press it with your palm so that it sticks well.
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper, the dip the fillets in semolina on both sides.
5. In a frying pan, heat some olive oil and brown the surmullets first ont he side with the skin so that it does not fall off and then on the other side.
6. For assembling, place the vegetables in the center of a dish, then put a surmullet above it.  
7. Season with extra virgin oil.  

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Lapsang Souchong Tea Potato Cream, with Quail Egg and White Truffle

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 150 g yellow-flesh potato
• 100 g mountain pasture milk cream
• sea salt
• quail eggs
• 500 g water
• 5 g thinly ground lapsang souchong tea
• white truffle

Preparation:

To make the potatoes:

1. Boil the washed potatoes with their skin in salted water.
2. Once cooked, peel them and put hem in Bimby mixer. 
3. Bring the Biimby Mixer at 90 degrees, and add the salt and the fresh cream.

To make the eggs: 

1. Cook the quail in water at 65 degrees for 12 minutes.
2. Once the time has elapsed, immediately take the eggs from the water and put them in water and ice.
3. With a small knife and a coffee spoon, peel the eggs and put them in the cold tea.
4. Let them soak for 12 hours. 

To make the tea: 

1. Bring water at 95 degrees.
2. Add the tea, allow the infuse for 5 minuts and strain.

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Cardoons, pears, anchovies with white truffle of Alba

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 3 kernels of cardoons from Nizza Monferrato
• 50 g butter
• 1 lemon
• salt
• 1 pear of abate Fétel variety or similar
• 6 salted anchovies
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• white truffle of Alba to taste

Preparation:

1. Blanche cardoons for about 8-9 minutes in salt water with lemon juice.
2. Drain them and put aside.
3. Peel and de-core the pear.
4. Cut it into 12 slices and steam for about 15 minutes then set it aside.
5. Bone and rinse the anchovies.
6. Cut them into small pieces and add a tablespoon of olive oil per person.
7. Cut the cardoons in 2 parts and brown each side for 2 minutes in butter.
8. Arrange alternate pieces of cardoons and pear on a dish.
9. Season with anchovies.
10. And finally, sprinkle the dish with white truffle of Alba.

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False Fried Egg with White Truffle

Ingredients (serves 4):

For the fonduta:

• 500 g local fontina cheese
• 200 g fresh milk
• 50 g cream
• 10 g potato starch

For the egg at low temperature No. 4 yolks.

Preparation:

1. Melt the fontina cheese with milk and cream and a bain-marie until the mixture is homogenous.
2. Add the potato starch.
3. After a few minutes whisk the mixture and keep it warm.
4. Heat the steam oven to 65°C and oven the yolks in a roasting pan full of water for 25 minutes.
5. When ready to serve, pour the white fonduta in a small ceramic pan and lay the egg yolk on top of it in the centre.
6. It looks like a fried egg but it is a fonduta with cooked egg yolk.

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Thyme and Marjoram-flavoured Lasagne Made of Egg Pasta with Rabbit Ragout and Roasted Square Bell Peppers from Cuneo

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 500 g egg pasta
• 600 g deboned and defatted rabbit thigh
• 300 g roasted red pepper from Cuneo
• 30 g chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g butter
• 1 whole garlic clove
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh marjoram
• 2 dl bechamel sauce
• 100 g raw tomatoes
• 150 g grated Grana Padano cheese

Preparation:

1. Roll out dough into thin sheets and cut it into 12 x 12 cm squares (4 per person).
2. Brown the onion in the butter and oil, add the garlic (to be removed later).
3. When the onion is well browned remove the fried garlic and add bell peppers previously cooked in the oven and cut into even cubes.
4. Fry a little bit and add rabbit thighs.
5. Adding almost right away the tomato and bechamel sauce with chopped herbs.
6. Suspend the preparation of the meat sauce.
7. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, then transfer to a large frying pan, leaving a little cooking water and adding a drop of oil.
8. To assemble put alternate layers of pasta, cooked rabbit, Grana cheese.
9. Repeat 3 times.
10. The last layer should be that of pasta dusted with Grana Padano cheese.
11. Do not bake.

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Mountain Potato Gnocchi Stuffed with Mountain Butter-flavoured Castelmagno Cheese Fondue

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 400 g unpeeled mountain potatoes
• 100 g “00” flour
• 1 egg
• salt q.s.
• pepper q.s.
• 200 g Castelmagno cheese
• 200 g fontina cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 sage leaves
• 50 g butter

Preparation:

1. Cook the potatoes in salted water.
2. Remove the cooked potatoes from the skins and pass them through a potato masher or a fine mesh meat grinder.
3. Lay the mashed potatoes on the work top and shape into a fountain.
4. Add flour, Parmesan cheese, eggs, butter, salt and pepper.
5. Knead until smooth and homogenous.
6. Shape the dough into snakes (3 cm diameter approx.), cut into pieces larger than traditional gnocchi and gently press each piece with your finger to make an indentation.
7. Put the cool fondue in a sac à poche, stuff the gnocchi and close them up to avoid any fondue leakage.
8. Cook the gnocchi in abundant boiling salted water, drain gently, add to a frypan with melted butter, a little cooking water and 2 sage leaves.

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Cauliflower Cream with Vanilla, Prawns, Nizza Cardoons, Anchovy-flavoured Oil and White Truffle of Alba

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 cauliflower
• 1 cardoon
• 1 vanilla pod
• 6 desalted anchovy fillets
• 1 L milk
• 150 g extra virgin olive oil
• 12 prawns

Preparation:

1. Chop the cauliflower and boil it in milk and vanilla for one hour at 90°.
2. Drain and blend them into a creamy mass.
3. Peel cardoons, soak them in slightly acid water, dice into 4 cm chunks and finally boil keeping them crisp.
4. Heat anchovies in olive oil and pass them through a sieve.
5. Remove heads and tails of the prawns, then steam them at 75° for 2 minutes.
6. In a big bowl place 2 tablespoons of cauliflower cream, lay cardoons lightly seared in butter, prawns, season with anchovy-flavoured olive oil.
7. Sprinkle with white truffle.

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Agnolotti della domenica al sugo di fegatini

Ingredienti per 10 persone:

Per la pasta:

• 500 g di farina
• 6 uova
• 4 tuorli
• sale

Per il ripieno:

• mezzo coniglio
• 500 g di tenerone di vitello
• 2 cipolle
• 5 spicchi d’aglio
• 2 rametti di rosmarino
• 100 g di riso
• olio extravergine di oliva
• 1 cavolo
• 2 uova
• brodo di carne
• grana padano
• sale
• pepe

Per il ragù:

• 200 g di salsiccia
• 300 g di fegatini di pollo
• 1 cipolla
• 1 carota
• 3 spicchi di aglio
• rosmarino
• salvia
• 1 cipolla
• sale
• pepe

Per la salsa di pomodoro:

• 6 pomodori maturi tipo cuore di bue
• 3 scalogni
• 1 spicchio di aglio
• 1 foglia di alloro
• olio extravergine di oliva
• sale
• pepe

Procedimento:

1. Impastare la farina con le uova e il sale sino ad ottenere un impasto liscio; lasciarlo riposare per circa 30 minuti.
2. In seguito tirare dei fogli sottili e farcirli con il ripieno che otterremo.
3. Per il ripieno, dopo aver salato e pepato la carne, rosolarla in teglia per 10 minuti, quindi aggiungere le cipolle tagliate, l’aglio, il rosmarino, il cavolo e il riso (cotto separatamente).
4. Passare la teglia in forno e bagnare di tanto in tanto con il brodo di carne cuocendo per un’ora e mezza a 200°C.
5. Quando la cottura è conclusa, lasciare raffreddare e tritare il tutto.
6. Aggiungere le uova e il formaggio grattugiato, aggiustare di sale e pepe e ottenere un impasto piuttosto consistente.
7. Per elaborare la salsa di pomodoro, soffriggere lo scalogno, l’aglio e l’alloro.
8. Pelare a questo punto i pomodori, privare dei semi, tagliarli a pezzi e fare andare il tutto a fuoco lento per circa 1 ora.
9. Preparare infine il ragù, iniziando a passare in padella per 5/6 minuti le verdure e i profumi tritati; unire la salsiccia e i fegatini ridotti a pezzetti molto piccoli; aggiustare di sale e pepe, quindi continuare la cottura per 15 minuti.
10. In ultimo aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro che ho appena preparata.
11. Cuocere gli agnolotti per circa 5 minuti e condire con il sugo.

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Tagliolini di nocciola, coniglio grigio di carmagnola, Castelmagno e Tartufo Bianco d’Alba

Ingredienti:

Per la terrina di coniglio:

• 1 coniglio intero “Terre dei Savoia”
• 2 cipolle piccole
• 1 carota
• 1 gambo di sedano
• 2 scalogno
• 2 rametti di timo
• 1/4 testa d’aglio
• 6 olive nere
• 100 cc vino bianco
• 200 cc fondo di coniglio
• sale
• pepe

Per i tagliolini:

• 150 g farina “00”
• 100 g farina di semola
• 30 g farina di nocciola
• 100 g uovo intero
• 20 g tuorlo di uovo
• 10 g pasta di nocciola
• 1 g sale

Per la salsa:

• 160 burro di montagna
• q.b acqua
• q.b sale
• 120  g di Castelmagno
• 40 g granella di nocciola
• 61 g nocciola intera, divisa a metà e tostata
• q.b Tartufo Bianco d’Alba

Procedimento:

1. Per la terrina di coniglio: disossare il coniglio e bruciarne la pelle.
2. Tagliare le verdure grossolanamente.
3. Rosolare nella padella la polpa del coniglio, salando e pepando.
4. Sudare le verdure, timo e olive.
5. Versare il vino bianco facendo evaporare.
6. Mettere la pola di coniglio e le verdure in una placca alta, versare e ricoprire con il fondo di coniglio.
7. Cuocere nel forno (185°C 100% secco con ventola) per circa 1 ora.
8. Quando la carne è cotta togliere la polpa, ridurre l’acqua di cottura.
9. Condire con sale, pepe e acqua di cottura.
10. Mettere in una forma lasciare raffreddare e far riposare per 1 giorno.
11. Per tagliolini: amalgamare tutti gli ingredienti nell’impastatrice circa 10 minuti.
12. Fare riposare mezza giornata, dopodiché tirare la pasta in fogli sottili e tagliarla a striscioline di circa 2mm.
13. Per salsa: snocciolare il burro su una fiamma bassa.
14. Aggiungere l’acqua, aggiustare di sale.

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Cappone, cardi, cavolfiori e colatura di alici con Tartufo Bianco d’Alba

Ingredienti per 8 persone:

• 1 cappone pulito e fiammeggiato
• 2 spicchi d’aglio vestito
• 1 rametto di rosmarino
• olio di oliva extravergine d’oliva
• sale
• pepe nero

Per la purea di cavolfiore:

• 1 cavolfiore
• 250 g di latte
• sale

Per i cardi:

• 1 cardo
• 1 cucchiaio di burro
• sale
• pepe

Briciole di pane dorate:

• 1 cucchiaio di colatura di alici
• Tartufo Bianco d’Alba

Procedimento:

1. Arrostire il cappone aromatizzandolo in cottura con l’aglio e il rosmarino, liberarlo dalla pelle e disossarlo mantenendo i lombi di carne piuttosto grandi.
2. Filtrare il fondo di cottura e aggiungere la colatura di alici, mescolando bene con una frusta.
3. Conservare questo condimento al caldo per la preparazione finale del piatto.
4. Per la purea di cavolfiore, pulire il cavolfiore liberandolo dal torsolo e dalle foglie esterne più coriacee e farlo lessare in acqua e latte ben salati per circa 20 minuti; frullare e passare al setaccio fine tenendo la purea abbastanza densa.
5. Per i cardi: pulire ed eliminate i filamenti dei cardi con l’aiuto di un coltellino affilato, tagliarli a pezzi e farli lessare in acqua salata per circa 15 minuti.
6. Scolarli e passarli in padella con il burro fino a che diventano ben dorati e croccanti.
7. Asciugare su di un foglio di carta assorbente.

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11^th oct – 16 nov 2014

The Alba White Truffle Market is the place to come and find out everything you are able to know about the truffle,  immersing  yourself in a unique and headily scented atmosphere.  Every Alba White Truffle on sale at the Market has been checked by a commission before the market is opened to the public,  and this group op experts will also be available for consultation at the Consumer Help Desk inside the fairgrounds.  Visitors are offered the potential to see,  touch and smell truffles sold directly by trustworthy vendors and local truffle hunters.  The large space hosting the Alba White Truffle is also home to the stands of the Alba Qualità food and wine  exhibition.  Here you can discover wines from the Langhe and Roero region,  the delights of local artisanal confectionery,  cheeses,  egg pastas,  cured meats ands all the other food products that have brought international fame to this area.  Fans of the Langhe and Roero’s great cuisine can also enjoy one of the dishes of the fair grounds stands. 

De witte truffel van Alba is nog maar eens in probleemsituatie. Begin september viel de belastinginspectie binnen bij een groot verkooppunt van truffels waar valse facturen aan de orde waren. Het gaat hier om een bedrijf in de omgeving van Alba een van de meest gerenommeerde is. Dit bedrijf is een van de absoluut meest bekende en verkoopt truffels aan topsterren in de wereld van glamour, politiek enz. uit de hele wereld, evenals aan restaurants in binnen- en buitenland en aan privé personen, maar blijkbaar gebeurt dit dus met duizelingwekkende valse facturaties.

Het blijkt dat het bedrijf helemaal geen vergunning had om truffels te verkopen. Bovendien vertegenwordigen de facturen helemaal niet de waarde van de truffels, zo blijkt als u de aangegeven verzendingswaarde vergelijkt met de effectieve factuur.  En een vergelijking tussen de persoonlijke belanstingaangifte van de eigenaar van het bedrijf met zijn winstmarge bracht nog een bedrog van 2 miljoen euro aan het licht. Ten slotte werden de truffels verkocht als echte Albese truffels, maar eigenlijk waren ze uit andere landen afkomstig.

Wilt u truffels ontdekken met 100% zekerheid over de afkomst, prijs en dergelijke? Contacteer Karina Imschoot van Made in Italy Travel die u truffelhunters ter plaatse laat bezoeken zodat u zichzelf kunt overtuigen van de correctheid van A tot Z in het verhandelen van dit zeer gegeerd goedje.

Wij verwijzen voor deze blog naar de berichtgeving in o.a. Gazetta d’Alba van 2 september 2014 en alle wekelijkse volgende edities.

Het is een mooie start van de herfst, zowel dankzij de aangename temperaturen als dankzij het publiek dat nu al in groten getale aanwezig is in Alba en omgeving om alles live mee te maken – om zelf de geur op te snuiven en eventueel in een van de vele restaurants alle zintuigen te betrekken bij het verorberen van een gastronomische topper zoals een tajarin met een grattata (een paar schaafjes witte truffel). Dit wordt een belangrijke periode voor het toerisme, want zomaar liefst 50 miljoen euro wordt bij zo’n speciale gelegenheid als de Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba binnengehaald.

Wat daarentegen beslist een minpunt is voor de Albese witte truffel is dat hij in Italië belastbaar is met 22%, hoewel truffel in andere Europese landen als een landbouwproduct beschouwd wordt en slechts met 4 of 5% belast wordt. Komt daar nog even bij dat de landen die de truffel wel beschouwen als landbouwproduct subsidies krijgen van de Europese Gemeenschap, terwijl Alba dat dus niet krijgt. Daar willen het Centrum voor de Studie van de Albese Truffel, de Europarlementariër Alberto Cirio, de stad Alba en de organisatie van de Fiera del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba verandering in brengen. Op 24 september 2014 trokken ze naar Brussel om één en ander toe te lichten aan de Europese commissie en organiseerden ze in het kader daarvan een truffeljacht in een park in de buurt van de Europese Commissie. Er werd een petitie afgegeven aan de Commissie-leden om ze aan te zetten om druk uit te oefenen op de Italiaanse regering. Zolang de Italiaanse regering het btw-percentage niet harmoniseert met dat van de andere landen blijft de Italiaanse truffelsector immers met ernstige concurrentiële nadelen kampen.