The winter truffle season in Provence runs from November to mid-March. With oak trees sprinkled through our own property we have a natural truffière. This year the gardener told us to wait until February for the best and largest truffles. Next week our local hunter will arrive with his dog to sniff them out from their hiding places (which can change from year to year.) I am as excited to join the hunt as much as the thought of a weekend of truffle delicacies.

Our neighbour and his dog Gold arrived today at 2:00, to hunt for truffles on our property in the Luberon. A lovely 9 year-old poodle hybrid, Gold has been trained to search out the smell of the truffle and paw the soil when he finds a truffle in the hiding.  His master then goes to work to unearths the treasured truffle. The Provençal hunters work with dogs (Spaniels, German shepherds and Poodles in preference) in contrast with the Perigord where hunters work with more unruly pigs to uncover their ‘diamants noirs’

 I tried not to get my hopes up  as our truffle harvest has been erratic in the past and I had heard the harvest was poor this year as the summer had been too dry. If there is little rain in the summer the truffles dehydrate before they are fully formed. Too much rain in the late autumn is also not good and it had rained more than usual in December in the Luberon,  another bad omen.  

 Neverthess I heeded the gardener’s advice.   We have a number of the trees (oaks, hazelnut and juniper trees) well loved by truffles and this year the he identified the tell-tale signs of truffles lurking: a circle of 5 to 10 metres  of scorched earth around said trees,  the result of the nutrients of the soil having been drawn into the truffle.  

 It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and with great excitement, after about 10 minutes Gold started to paw the ground and we uncovered a huge truffle (120 grams).  Given most truffles weight between 20 to 200 grams we were at the higher end of the scale particularly as there were two small offshoots at 15 grams a piece. We continued for another 30 minutes or so but it seems nature had focussed on one great find. 

 I split our treasure with the gardener and the rabassier who says we should try again in 3 weeks as new truffles can still emerge this season.  With such a great success today who can say no.  

Meanwhile I am now am looking forward to an exceptional omelette aux truffes before I infuse a couple of Camembert with truffle slices.  

If we do find a bountiful crop we plan to cut them into soft cheese (Camembert, Brief) and butter. When sealed in cellophane and kept in a cool place the aroma of the truffle infuses the fats in the cheese and butter adding flavour and storing more easily than a fresh truffle.

 Any surplus will be stored with our eggs in preparation for an omelette aux truffles. The egg shell is porous so the aroma of the truffle will penetrate and infuse the egg which adds much more delicious flavour to the omelette.

Recipe for Omelette aux truffes

Lightly whisk 2 tbsp of milk with 3 eggs which have been infused with truffle aroma and seasoned with sea salt and finely ground pepper. Melt butter over medium heat, add egg mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add 20g of truffle slices in the last 30 seconds of cooking. Let stand for one minute and fold into thirds and serve.

Where to buy fresh truffles:

If our own harvest is disappointing I head to  Place de la Bouquerie in Apt where I have successfully bought truffles over the years in front of the Bistro de France.

Postscipt - February 10: