Truffles
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Episode: 20 (8 September 2007)
A pleasant half hour drive from the Perth city centre is the very leafy, hills suburb of Mundaring. Mundaring is home to one of Australia’s top restaurants, the award winning “The Loose Box”.
Since opening his restaurant “The Loose Box” in 1979, Alain Fabregues has won more gold medals and awards then you could poke a stick at. Alain prides himself on producing fresh produce for the restaurant from the vegetable gardens and orchards on site.
Alain has also taken a leading role in introducing Australian chefs to the wonders of black truffles. Neville chatted to Alain about the amazing delicacy often referred to as black gold.
INTERVIEW
Neville:
Alain, they call it black gold and at $3000 a kilo it is pretty valuable stuff.
Alain:
That is it, look; they some times call it black diamonds.
Neville:
Yes black diamonds that is probably more appropriate, so it is the black truffle.
Alain:
Yes that is right it is the black truffle from France that we have brought the spores into Australia and inoculated the tree.
Neville:
Right, so it is this tree?
Alain:
It is one of the trees; you see to be able to grow the truffle you need a Ph of 8. The green oak does that. In Western Australia the ph is very often 5, 5.5 so we have to manipulate the soil and put a lot of lime in the ground to achieve that.
Neville:
Right, so tell me about the flavour.
Alain:
Its fungi, its mystique, its sombre, its dark, its special.
Neville:
What would you suggest to some one who has been given their very first truffle, how would you prepare it and what would you use it with?
Alain:
You have to be very careful when you cook it so that it doesn’t go over a certain temperature. Although I would say the best is to use it in a salad with a bit of sour cream, your truffle shaved on top, it is nice.
Neville:
You are really into fresh food here. You have got your own garden, where produce your own vegetables.
Alain:
Absolutely, that is what we are all about. A minute ago we picked our broccoli and brussel sprouts for this evening as well as all our herbs. At the moment the citrus is in full swing, when it is apricot season we produce about 250kg of apricots and we have a lot mulberries. Of course we cannot produce everything we need but every day there will always be a fresh product coming from the garden
Neville:
Well Alain thank you for being part of the introduction of this wonderful new flavour to Australian palettes
Alain:
Well I believe this is going to put Australia on the map, more then the wine did.
Neville:
Alain, thank you so much.
“The Loose Box”
6825 Great Eastern Highway,
Mundaring
Western Australia 6073
Tel : (08) 9295 1787
Fax : (08) 9295 3111
Email : loosebox@ozemail.com.au
Web : www.loosebox.com.au
Episode: 20 (8 September 2007)
A pleasant half hour drive from the Perth city centre is the very leafy, hills suburb of Mundaring. Mundaring is home to one of Australia’s top restaurants, the award winning “The Loose Box”.
Since opening his restaurant “The Loose Box” in 1979, Alain Fabregues has won more gold medals and awards then you could poke a stick at. Alain prides himself on producing fresh produce for the restaurant from the vegetable gardens and orchards on site.
Alain has also taken a leading role in introducing Australian chefs to the wonders of black truffles. Neville chatted to Alain about the amazing delicacy often referred to as black gold.
INTERVIEW
Neville:
Alain, they call it black gold and at $3000 a kilo it is pretty valuable stuff.
Alain:
That is it, look; they some times call it black diamonds.
Neville:
Yes black diamonds that is probably more appropriate, so it is the black truffle.
Alain:
Yes that is right it is the black truffle from France that we have brought the spores into Australia and inoculated the tree.
Neville:
Right, so it is this tree?
Alain:
It is one of the trees; you see to be able to grow the truffle you need a Ph of 8. The green oak does that. In Western Australia the ph is very often 5, 5.5 so we have to manipulate the soil and put a lot of lime in the ground to achieve that.
Neville:
Right, so tell me about the flavour.
Alain:
Its fungi, its mystique, its sombre, its dark, its special.
Neville:
What would you suggest to some one who has been given their very first truffle, how would you prepare it and what would you use it with?
Alain:
You have to be very careful when you cook it so that it doesn’t go over a certain temperature. Although I would say the best is to use it in a salad with a bit of sour cream, your truffle shaved on top, it is nice.
Neville:
You are really into fresh food here. You have got your own garden, where produce your own vegetables.
Alain:
Absolutely, that is what we are all about. A minute ago we picked our broccoli and brussel sprouts for this evening as well as all our herbs. At the moment the citrus is in full swing, when it is apricot season we produce about 250kg of apricots and we have a lot mulberries. Of course we cannot produce everything we need but every day there will always be a fresh product coming from the garden
Neville:
Well Alain thank you for being part of the introduction of this wonderful new flavour to Australian palettes
Alain:
Well I believe this is going to put Australia on the map, more then the wine did.
Neville:
Alain, thank you so much.
“The Loose Box”
6825 Great Eastern Highway,
Mundaring
Western Australia 6073
Tel : (08) 9295 1787
Fax : (08) 9295 3111
Email : loosebox@ozemail.com.au
Web : www.loosebox.com.au
AS SEEN ON 
