Truffle delight: 'Don't insult the food of kings'

Dubai:  Michelin-star chef Giorgio Locatelli can't resist a chuckle when people say Italian food is all about spaghetti and pizza. "There's a world of flavours and passion in our cuisine," says the Italian chef who was in town to launch a white truffle promotion at his signature restaurant Ronda Locatelli at the Atlantis Hotel.

Truffle, which is one of the most rare and expensive ingredients in the world, due to its rarity and quality, is a fungus which mostly grows in parts of Italy and France.

Available for only two to four months a year, depending on the length of the season, truffle must be eaten fresh and cannot be stored for lengthy periods of time, explains Locatelli.

Now that truffle season has started, Ronda Locatelli will be serving the delectable white truffle along with its signature pastas and risottos over the next few months.

But it doesn't come cheap. To buy it as a raw ingredient, one would need to part with about Dh14,000 in exchange for 1kg of the fungus. "It's the food of the kings and as such should be served with passion and flair," says Locatelli, demonstrating how the ingredient shouldn't be wasted on complicated dishes.

"Served atop fried eggs, mixed in with mashed potatoes, sprinkled over pastas, or garnished on a simple risotto would be the best way to serve this mystical food.

"A lot of high-end restaurants make elaborate soups and appetisers, garnished with a tiny sprinkling of truffle on top," says Locatelli. "To me, that's a travesty and an insult to the truffle. A true Italian, passionate about his food, would serve a lot of truffle atop a simple dish."

While dining at the rustic Italian restaurant this season, indulge in some of the chef's favourite dishes: Tagliolini Al Tartufo Bianco (homemade tagliolini with white truffle), Dh80/Dh110; the Risotto Al Tartufo Bianco (a Parmesan risotto with white truffle), Dh150; and the Zabaglione Al Marsala Tartufo Bainco, Dh45.

If it's good enough for a king…