Truffles

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES are rich, infatuating little follies, so named because when dusted with cocoa powder they resemble those rare earthy little gems of fungus, and similarly precious to all lovers of exciting food. The chocolate truffle is believed to be an invention of about 80 years.

A good truffle is my idea of the perfect chocolate confection. It’s got to be hand-made - I know all about economies of scale but I don’t think a machine has yet been invented or perfected that can touch a man’s passion or skilled and practised hand. The basic nature of a truffle is the ganache, the chocolate and cream (and sometimes butter) which is the vital component of the centre, which should be enrobed with a thin coating of 60%-70% couverture. I am attracted to the chocolate by the sight of a glossy finish. Instinct tells me if I should be tempted any further. The smell is important. It should be ‘lush’, full and fruity with intense cocoa-y overtones and a balance of spicy acidity. The bite should be crisp and clean through its chocolate coat, which after all is only the means to hold its ‘soul’ - yielding to the charms of the ganache centre, which should be light and creamy in texture and intensely chocolatey in flavour Robert Linxe, the great French chocolate guru of modern times, is horrified by the thought of whisking the ganache and says that “the amalgamated chocolate and cream confection should be moved like a mayonnaise”. However; I am a fan of the very lightly whisked variety and the resulting lightness, which gives it ethereal qualities that aid its complete melt-in-the mouth experience while the flavours burst around the palate. The combination of flavours should be clean and distinct with a long, clearly defined aftertaste.