Not surprisingly, the main business of the day was truffles. We have a feeling that we missed the real wheeling and dealing, but there was still plenty of truffle to be had, as can be seen in Henri Proust's photos here. For some reason, I managed not to take any pictures of truffles of the fungi kind, but did get a photo of the other, more chocolatey sort.
Although truffles are expensive, the pricing is very easy to understand. A category 2 truffle costs 1000€ a kilo, that is 1€ a gram. A small truffle - about walnut sized - will set you back 15€ - 20€, which would be plenty for a 2 person recipe. Declassée truffles are 600€ a kilo, and the main criterion for declassifying them seems to be irregular shape. (As you can tell, we are experts already!) Along with the truffles au naturale was a range of specialities with added truffle, including brie sliced through the middle and spread with a layer of truffle (possibly truffle butter).
As well as truffles, the fair had plenty of local produce, including a fine selection of breads. Behind the unfeasibly large bread you can see the burnt tops of Tourteau Fromager (cheese crab), a Poitevin sponge cake made with chèvre and eaten as a dessert.
There was also a good range of hams and saucisson (salami style sausages), chicken and duck products (including foie and pâté of all kinds), snails, fruit and preserves.
Now we have been to a truffle fair, we will probably go back every year to stock up on life's little luxuries.
Simon
3 comments:
Thanks for turning out to the truffle fair - it was/is/will be fun. Keep those posts coming plz.
i love the decoration of the basket table (charcuterie?) with sprigs of pine and a little willow fence, is it?
Pine sprigs, yes, but I don't think the 'fence' is robust enough to be willow. I think it is perhaps some fine bamboo, but not sure.
Susan
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