Truffle Delight

Does anything say culinary decadence quite like the rich and velvety truffle? We don’t think so. Here, our Head Chef at Fermain Valley shares one of his showstopping recipes for you to try at home that puts this treasured delicacy center stage.

Cepe and Egg Yolk Ravioli, Toasted Pumpkin Seed Beurre Noisette and Alba White Truffle

Ingredients: Serves 8

Pasta

  • 275g 00 flour
  • 25g semolina flour
  • 290g egg yolk plus one yolk beaten for building

Cepe purée

  • 500g frozen cepes
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • Seasoning

Cepe filling

  • 150g cepe purée
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 20g finely grated parmesan
  • 20g chopped parsley or chives
  • Egg yolks separated from whites and kept whole
  • Seasoning

Pumpkin seed beurre noisette

  • 200g pumpkin seeds
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • Half a lemon

You’ll also need truffle and a fine grater!

Preparation:

Cepe purée

  1. Start with the cepe purée, as this needs to be completely chilled to use in the ravioli.
  2. Foam the butter in a heavy-based pan, add the frozen cepes and cover with a lid.
  3. Have the heat low so they cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has released and has emulsified with the butter.
  4. Once cooked, use a blender to purée until smooth.
  5. Season to taste and chill in the fridge.

Pasta

  1. Use a mixer to combine the dry ingredients.
  2. Add the egg yolks and continue mixing until it forms a dough ball – you may need a touch of water if the mix hasn’t bonded.
  3. Once you have a smooth, firm dough, chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Beurre noisette

  1. Heat the butter gently in a heavy-based pan until it starts to turn brown and gives off a baked biscuit aroma.
  2. Once the butter has reached this color, squeeze in the lemon juice to stop the cooking process before passing the liquid through a fine sieve to remove any bits from the butter.
  3. Toast the pumpkin seeds gently, combine with the butter and keep in a warm place.

Method:

  • Add all the ingredients for the cepe filling in a bowl and mix well to combine all the flavors before seasoning to taste and transferring to a piping bag.
  • Roll the pasta through a pasta machine from the highest setting to the lowest setting until you get thin sheets.
  • Cut the sheets into 12cm squares – you may need to dust your work surface with semolina to help stop the pasta sticking.
  • To build a ravioli, take two squares of pasta and brush with the beaten egg yolk.
  • Pipe a hollow circle of the cepe filling, slightly wider than the egg yolk, onto one of the sheets, about 1.5cm high.
  • Leave a well in the center and add a whole raw egg yolk.
  • Take the other glazed pasta square and put on top of the egg yolk and cepe mix, so the two glazed pieces connect.
  • Use your fingers or a ring cutter to seal the pasta right up to the cepe filling, pushing out all the air so it has a tight seal.
  • Use a ring cutter or pasta cutter to cut around the filled pasta in the shape of a ravioli – don’t forget to have a tray with a dusting of semolina ready to put the finished ravioli on.