About my love for truffles…

Okay everyone, I’m sorry about all the truffle posts. This will be my last one until the fall!

I’ll start this recipe off by saying that truffles aren’t an every day thing. They aren’t even an every month (or every year) thing. But, I’m a tom boy. I don’t splurge on make up or hair or clothing; I splurge on ingredients. So, I figured, what the heck! Get your truffles, Rachel!

After cooking my way through some black summer truffles (and loving every second of it), I had reached out to Mikuni Wild Harvest to inquire about white winter truffles. I’ve heard that they are the most fragrant and luxurious of the truffle family, and I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival.

While I was informed that I wouldn’t be able to get any until (at earliest) the end of September, they did have Black Perigord truffles available. I was told they were in their absolute prime, and that the aroma was “outstanding”. That’s pretty much all the convincing I needed.

Regarding The Availability of Truffles

I know that in most places, coming by fresh truffles is not an easy thing! I’m so lucky to have access to so many incredible ingredients living in the greater Vancouver area. But, when I was on the East Coast, this was a lot harder! You can often find preserved truffles in specialty grocery stores, or on Amazon (like here).

You can also use a drizzle of truffle oil in lieu of fresh truffles. Be careful though, not all truffle oils are the same! A lot of the commercially produced truffle oils are just perfumed olive oil. Some purists will look down on commercially produced truffle oil. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it – you just have to appreciate it for what it is. Or, you can get real infused truffle oil from Oregon Truffle Oil.

Making Lobster & Tarragon Ravioli with Fresh Truffle

This recipe was so much fun to make! I basically starved myself all day, When I finally finished photographing it I turned off the photography light and ate it at the counter. This recipe is pretty rich, so make sure you pair it with an acidic tart wine! I paired mine with Tidal Bay from Luckett’s Vineyard in Nova Scotia! It’s always been a favourite of mine, because it has been designed specifically with seafood in mind.

Here’s the Recipe!

A quick tip: When you are making your ravioli, make sure you get all of the air bubbles out before you seal them. If you don’t, they will probably explode and you will have free floating ricotta and lobster in your salt water.

Lobster & Tarragon Ravioli With Fresh Truffles

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Ingredients

  

Tarragon Pasta

• 1 2/3 Cup 00 Flour
• 2 Whole Free Range Organic Eggs + 1 Yolk (Reserve the left over egg white for egg wash)
• 1 Glug of High Quality Olive Oil
• Healthy Sprinkle of Salt
• Healthy Sprinkle of Coarsely Chopped Fresh Tarragon
• Egg Wash (Whites from 1 Egg, Plus 1 Splash of Water)

Ravioli Filling

• 1 Small Lobster Freshly Boiled
• 3-4 TSBP Fresh Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Small Shallot Finely Chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Freshly Cracked Peppercorn To Taste
• Lemon Zest
• 1/2 Lemon
• Olive Oil

Garnishes

• Lemon Zest
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Black Perigord Truffle
• Fresh Tarragon

Instructions

 

Start Your Tarragon Pasta First

• Pour 00 flour and coarse salt into a large bowl. Mix. Make a well in the center. Drop in your eggs, chopped tarragon, and oil.
• Working from the inside out, gradually stir the eggs into the flour, incorporating more flour, little at a time
• Once your flour and eggs are mixed, move to a clean floured surface. Knead for 4-5 minutes, until your dough is smooth.
• Place in a boil and cover with plastic wrap. Allow your dough to rest for at least half an hour.

Ravioli Filling

• Drizzle olive oil into a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Saute until translucent. Remove from heat.
• In a small bowl, mix chopped fresh lobster, shallots, garlic, and ricotta.
• Zest 1/4 of a lemon, then squeeze juice from 1/2 of a lemon into your mixture.
• Add salt, peppercorn, and stir.
• Place in the fridge.

Rolling Pasta

• Using a rolling pin, roll your pasta out until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a pasta roller, move your dough through the press until it is thin and flexible (Option 5, on a KitchenAid Press)
• Using a circular cookie cutter, cut your dough into circles. Place under a clean damp kitchen towel so they do not dry out.
• On a lightly floured surface, place down 1/2 of your circles. Add one heaping tablespoon of lobster mixture on top. Brush the edges with egg wash, then seal with the other 1/2 of your pasta circles.
• Carefully press out all of the air to ensure your ravioli do not explode when boiled.
• Using a fork, press down the edges. Cover your pasta with a damp clean kitchen towel.

Cooking & Assembly

• Bring a shallow pot of water to a rumbling boil. Add salt.
• Carefully drop your ravioli one at a time into the water using a slotted spoon. Remove when they float (approximately 2 minutes in)
• Place in a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh tarragon, and fresh truffles
• Serve alongside a bright, tart glass of wine!
• Enjoy!