Erotic. That’s the word Ajit Bangera would use to describe the taste of a truffle. The Senior Executive Chef at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai chats with us about a new luxury dining experience that has been three months in the making. “It’s called Truffles on Tour,” he says, giving us a gist of a travelling five-course menu incorporating one key ingredient in every course. You guessed it — truffles. Incorporating summer and winter truffles sourced from Italy, the dining experience is available for one night only and is travelling to multiple cities including Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Expect novel creations like Egg 65 with Parmaham, white truffle scented potato foam ciabatta crisp and Balsamic centred white chocolate and truffle semifreddo, with black truffle sponge.
Here's a recipe of one of the much-awaited creations of the menu.
Potato fondant served with fontina reduction & freshly grated white truffle
Ingredients: Potato (1) | Baby green zucchini (1) | Baby yellow zucchini (1)| Fennel bulb (1) | Broccoli (80 gms) | Green asparagus (50 gms) | Red bell pepper (1) | Yellow bell pepper (1) | Clarified butter (60 gms) | Baby leeks (1) | Fontal cheese (70 gms) | Elen vire cream (30 ml) | Milk (50 ml) | Salt (10 gms) | White pepper powder (2 gms) | White truffle oil (5 ml) | Fresh white truffle (10 gms) | Spinach powder (5 gms) |Onion powder 5 gms | Garlic powder (5 gms) | Charcoal powder (2 gms)
Method:
For potato bone marrow & potato fondant
Cut the potato with cutter (2 inches height) and (2 inches in diameter). Again cut through the centre with 2 inch height and 0 .5 inch diameter cutter in order to look like a bone marrow. Steam for 20 minutes at 120° till it is soft and fry it clarified butter till golden brown. Sauté the cylindrical potato with butter, garlic and thyme till golden brown add stock and cook till soft.
For the veggies: Cut braised fennel into equal halves. Sauté with butter, add glen morange 12-year-old, little stock and braise till soft. | Char bell pepper on open fire, remove skin, thinly slice them and roll like a roulade | Pan sear leeks with butter, add glen morange and stock and braise till soft. | Marinate zucchini with glen morange, salt, herbs, pepper. Sauté with butter till it is cooked. | Blanch broccoli, asparagus, then sauté with clarified butter.
For fontal glaze: Put milk and cream together in thermo mix, till it reaches 80°. Add fontal cheese and cook for 5 minutes, add seasoning and strain through a sieve.
Plating: Use a siphon to pipe the fontal foam on the vegetables, and sprinkle the powders on the plate. Finish with truffle oil and freshly grated white truffle. Serve hot.
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