Truffle Stories, Chapter 1: Bernard Ravet
Pear, truffles and cheese:
Once upon a time, in a small Swiss village, there lived a chef renowned for his unique culinary creations. One day, while walking in the woods with his dog Monette, he discovered a field of wild truffles. Inspired by this find, he had the idea of marrying the sweetness of local pears with the rich aroma of truffles. He created a dish that captured the essence of the region: poached pears, delicately flavored with slices of truffle, served with young Gruyère or blue cheese. This dish quickly became a Proust's madeleine, symbolizing the perfect fusion between the simplicity of nature and the elegance of cuisine.
Ingredients per person:
- 1 ripe pear, peeled
- 15 g fresh black truffles
- 100 gr Sugar (quantity to taste)
- 20 gr Lemon juice
- 1 lt Water for syrup
- 100 gr young Gruyère or blue cheese
Preparation
- Prepare the syrup: Combine the water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to the boil.
- Poach the pear: Add the peeled pear and truffle peelings to the syrup. Poach over low heat until the pear is tender.
- Chill: Leave the pear to cool in the syrup, so that it can absorb the aromas.
- Prepare the truffles: Slice the truffles into thin strips of about 2mm.
- To assemble: Make incisions in the pear and gently insert the truffle strips, arranging them like the scales of a pine cone.
- Serving: Serve the pear upright on a plate, accompanied by slices of young Gruyère or blue cheese.
