Description:

Truffle hunting in the Lot department of the Midi-Pyrenees in South West France.

Truffles have long tradition in the Lot department, with the main edible variety found in the area being the Black Truffle, known as black diamonds!

The harvesting takes place between November and March each year using either the traditional truffle pigs or dogs.  The sows have the advantage that they do not need to be trained, unlike dogs, as the odour from the truffles is similar to that of the sexual odour of a wild boar.  However, this in turn brings its own problems as the sows are so excited by finding a truffle that they are quite likely to eat it before they can be stopped!

The Lot department used to produce around 200 tons of truffles each year, but this has fallen dramatically to under ten tons, mainly due to depopulation of the area.

Thee are a number of markets in the Lot, but the main one is in the town of Lalbenque, which is held every Tuesday afternoon from 2.30pm.  Truffles can cost up to 300 € per kilo so for most people the market is just an entertaining spectacle.  There is also a market at Limogne, every Friday at 1030 during the season.

As you can imagine, the French have hundreds of traditional recipes using truffles.  They are also used to infuse that other culinary tradition of the area, fois gras.

OMELETTE WITH BLACK TRUFFLES FROM THE QUERCY

Recipe from the truffle market at Lalbenque (Lot)

For 4 people.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• A good-quality truffle (around 50 gr)
• 1 glass of Madeira or Port
• 1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
• 2 soup-spoons of duck or goose fat
• Ground salt and pepper

Cut the truffle into thin slices and sauté in a frying pan with a spoonful of hot fat. Leave to cook for

3 minutes. Add the glass of Madeira/Port and the chopped parsley.

Continue to cook gently for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper, remove from the heat and keep warm.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Heat a spoonful of fat in another frying pan. Pour in the eggs. As soon as

they begin to take, push the cooked edges back to the centre with a wooden fork. When the

omelette is ready, add the truffles, saving the sauce . Place the omelette on a warm serving dish

and pour on the gently re-heated sauce. Serve immediately.

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