TERFEZIA: MOROCCAN DESERT TRUFFLES
€ 320.00
The aim of this holiday is to learn how to find Terfezia (Moroccan sand truffles), hidden in the sand.
The most common method of harvesting is the one known as "à la marque" ("by the mark") : the soil at the foot of the host plant is often swollen and cracked.
In order for terfezia to grow, they need rain: preferably at the beginning of the autumn ( for Delastria rosca, Terfezia leptoderma and Tuber oligaspermum), or in winter or spring for other types. The presence of host trees and well-structured sandy soils are equally important, to enable ventilation, and the distribution of nutritional minerals that are essential for the growth of these fungi.
Under the bark of the oak:
Terfezia arenaria, T. leptoderma and Tuber asa, associées à from the Helianthemum gattatum family, can be found beneath the bark of the oak (Quercus suber), on acid soil in semi-arid terrain, in forest clearings; while in reforested areas, Tuber oligospermum and Delastria rosea can be found under Pinus pinaster (var. atlantica) trees.
Under green oak:
In low altitude areas (below 300m), in semi-arid soil rich in calcium, Terfezia boudieri can be found under the Quercus ilex tree, growing alongside Helianthemum sp (another type of fungus).
Beneath arid sub-Saharan, calcium-rich soil:
Species to be found: Tirmania pinoyi et T. nivea (Helianthemum hirtum family), together with Terfezia boudieri, T. claveryi and Picoa juniperi (Helianthemum lipii and H. apertum family).
HOMESTAY IN A SMALLHOLDING OR WITH NOMAD'S
English spoken only in smallholder's
Included:
- Airport pick-up/drop-off (Oujda, Ouarzazate or Casablanca)
- A week’s full board, staying with Moroccan family(8 days / 7 nights).
Excluded:
- Flights
- Personal expenses
More informations about your HOMESTAYS
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WELCOME TO MOROCCO!
Crème de Truffe du Désert
For this recipe you'll need not only a basket of white desert truffles, but also a female camel. If the camel isn't handy, substitute whole milk or, even better, light cream.
Ingredients
9 or 10 medium-sized white desert truffles, very fresh
4 cups whole milk or light cream
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
4 more cups whole milk or light cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/4 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup light cream
Instructions
1. Immerse the truffles in cold water for 10 minutes. Throw out the water and loose sand and cover them with water again. Repeat. Gently massage each truffle under running water with your fingers, then scrub them gently with a vegetable or mushroom brush and rinse. Scrub and rinse again. Now, some will tell you never to peel a truffle and to take out the remaining specks of sand with a fine-pointed knife. Nonsense! Much of the sand is invisible, so there is only one way to get rid of it. Peel the truffles very finely—but don't throw away the peelings: They are very rich in flavor and add a deft light-brown tinge to the soup. Barely cover the peelings with milk (quantity not included above) and simmer for 10 minutes. Let them stand so that some, if not all, of the remaining fine sand sinks to the bottom. Cool. Gently pour off the milk, leaving the sand behind. Discard the peelings and set aside the milk they were cooked in.
2. Roughly chop all but two of the peeled truffles. Put the onion and garlic in the first four cups of milk and bring it to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then add the chopped truffles. Simmer gently for another three minutes, no longer. Puree the mixture in a blender or a Moulinette, and set it aside.
3. Then make a white roux. Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan and a heat diffuser between pot and burner. Heat the remaining four cups of milk very hot (but do not boil) and hold it at temperature. Melt one tablespoon of the butter; when it starts to froth, turn down the heat, stir in the flour and keep stirring until the butter absorbs all the flour and becomes a thick paste. Without delay, pour in the very hot milk, half a cup at a time. Keep stirring without pause until a smooth, creamy, thick sauce is achieved. If there are lumps, keep stirring until the bubbling sauce is smooth. Let it simmer very gently for another 10 minutes.
4. Slowly stir in the puréed truffle mixture until it is absorbed into the sauce. Drop in the bouillon cube and the sugar. Add salt and white and cayenne pepper. Gently, so as not to raise any remaining sand from the bottom, stir in the milk the skins were boiled in. Stir in the three-quarters of a cup of cream and the quarter tablespoon of butter for finishing. If the soup seems too thick, dilute with a little more milk.
5. At the very last moment before serving, so as to obtain the maximum truffle flavor, take the two peeled truffles you have set aside and grate them, using a rasp or the finest part of a kitchen grater, directly into the soup. Keep the soup hot, with the lid on, in a double boiler, and do not let it boil again.
6. If the truffles were fresh, the soup should possess a delicate truffle flavor and a most luxurious texture. If you have been lucky enough to find one or two truffles with a pink interior, it will have a seductive pink tinge. It is especially good served with warm cheese-straw pastries.
7. Kept in a sealed jar, the finished soup will keep its truffle flavor for several days.
Association "Vivre de Ma Campagne"
Hay al Qods
Tahala
Région de Taza
MAROC
00 212 634 21 40 09
info@sejours-maroc.org
