Périgord truffle macaroni cheese and foraged garlic leaves – by Paul Ainsworth
Ingredients
(Serves four)
For the macaroni
500g durum wheat flour
2tbs ice-cold water
Pinch salt
For the cream mixture
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 head garlic
500ml double cream
100ml whole milk
For the cheese sauce
100g Parmesan, grated
50g Gruyère, grated
50g horse mushrooms (or similar)
Olive oil
Butter
250g wild garlic leaves, picked and washed
1/2 lemon
To finish
20g chopped tarragon
5ml truffle oil
1 Périgord truffle, truffle slicer
Fine rock salt
Pepper
Method
Place wheat flour in a bowl and make a well. Dissolve salt in water and add it gradually. Mix with your hands until the dough comes together to form a dry tight ball without being sticky (you may not need all the water, you may need a little more). Wrap in clingfilm and place in fridge to rest for 30-60 minutes.
Crush the garlic with the thyme and a pinch of rock salt, add to the cream and milk and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat, cover pan with clingfilm, and pierce, leaving to infuse for an hour. Once cooled, pass the liquid into another pan.
Take the rested dough out of the fridge. Pull off pieces about the size of a large marble and wrap each piece around a long wooden skewer. Roll it between your hands to form a tube, about 4cm long. Carefully take out the skewer and place the macaroni on a floured tray. Once you have the required amount of macaroni, blanch them in boiling salted water and olive oil for about eight to 10 minutes.
For the cheese sauce, bring the cream mixture back to a simmer, add the Parmesan and Gruyère and whisk to a smooth consistency. Sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil and butter, season to taste. Drain the mushrooms and add to the cream. In the same pan, sauté the garlic leaves in a little olive oil and butter with a little rock salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice. Drain on a paper towel. The macaroni should now be cooked. Strain it well and add to the cream with the wilted garlic leaf.
Finish with tarragon and truffle oil to taste, check seasoning and maybe add lemon juice. Serve and slice the truffle thinly over the macaroni cheese, allowing the warmth of the dish to slightly cook the truffles.
Paul Ainsworth, executive chef, No 6 restaurant, Padstow, Cornwall
