Prep School: Splendido chef Victor Barry offers three ways to prep truffles

As the fleeting truffle season nears its end, Splendido chef Victor Barry offers three ways to prep the black beauties at home

Photograph by Raina and Wilson

“I only have one rule for cooking with truffles: use a lot of them. I want my guests to be sweating truffles in their sleep. The aroma is almost better than the taste: musty and earthy, but tinged with sweetness and a cloud of spice.”

Shave them. Using a truffle slicer or mandolin, grate thin shavings over pasta, mushroom salad or scrambled eggs.

Emulsify them. Whirl three tablespoons of white wine ­vinegar, one tablespoon each of truffle oil, finely chopped truffle and egg yolk, two teaspoons of lemon juice, and one and a half teaspoons of dijon mustard in a food processor. With the motor running, add a cup of sunflower oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified. Serve as a salad dressing.

Infuse them. To make your own truffle oil, place two tablespoons of grated truffle in a Mason jar. Pour one cup of extra-virgin olive oil over the shavings and seal the jar. Leave for 48 hours at room temperature.