Take a look at any foodie feed on Instagram and you’ll see it’s all about truffles right now.
Cowaramup raised chef Russell Blaikie, owner of Must Winebar in Perth, loves using truffles in his French-bistro inspired restaurant.
Back in the day when he was making a name for himself in London, Mr Blaikie used decadent truffles when he cooked for the Queen.
Attendees at this year’s Truffle Kerfuffle in Manjimup on the weekend will be able to enjoy Blaikie’s truffle dishes too.
“When I was at the Dorchester Hotel in London for two years I learnt the finer art of using fresh Perigord Black truffles…using kilos of them in every day dishes and even preparing a truffle dish for the Queen at a state banquet,” Mr Blaikie recounts.
“Truffles can be tricky to use, they are delicate, so their aroma can be lost in a dish if incorrectly prepared, but when their sensually pungent funk is highlighted the sensory experience of tasting truffle becomes mind-bending, decadent and joyous, all at once!”
The Southern Forests region in the State’s southwest is the largest producer of black truffle, or Tuber melanosporum, in the Southern Hemisphere, with a production of about 10 tonne per year; approximately 85% of Australia’s overall production.
Mr Blaikie said food and produce festivals are celebrated around Europe and believes a festival that celebrates the high-quality truffles produced in the Southern Forests is worthy.
“I was fortunate enough to be invited to the dinner where our first WA truffle was served, a defining moment in WA’s culinary history and a meal that I’ll never forget.”
Blaikie will prepare a lavish multi-course breakfast feast to satiate the fiercest of appetites at the Truffle Kerfuffle’s Hunter’s Breakfast, hosted by Paul West River Cottage Australia) on Saturday 24 June.
The Truffle Kerfuffle will be held from Friday 23 June to Sunday 25 June 2017 at Fonty’s Pool in Manjimup. For more information, visit www.trufflekerfuffle.com.au