My neighbours would have kittens if they knew I was passing on an Australian truffle recipe. But they can't speak English, so this is between us.

While searching online for truffle recipes to use as literary inspiration - authors call it 'effective procrastination' - I stumbled across an Australian website called The Truffle Man which featured a simple recipe for truffle souffle. I've written about cultivated Australian truffles before, and The Truffle Man appears to be an online retailer and knowledge source.

The below recipe comes from his site, although I've added a few explanatory notes of my own. Souffles have the reputation of being difficult to cook, which couldn't be further from the truth. They can be hard to do for a dinner party, as the timing isn't easy, but for a simple supper which you eat the moment it's ready? A doddle.

If you're worried about getting the souffle to rise, my daughter has an excellent tip. Butter your souffle dish, and then line with either breadcrumbs or grated parmesan. The textured edges give the souffle something to 'climb'. She uses deep metal cake tins for her souffles, and puts the lined tin into the freezer while she makes the souffle mix (apparently known as a panade). She tells me that she's only ever done it that way - it was a tip in the first recipe she used - so she doesn't know what the freezing does, but she does know that all her souffles rise.

Another tip is to not over-beat the egg whites. If in doubt, medium-stiff peaks are better than over-beaten egg whites. When folding the egg white mixture - and this applies to all recipes that involve folding - use a metal spoon.

250ml milk
70g butter
50g flour
50g grated cheese [a Cantal or Tomme would work well]
4 eggs, separated (whites, stiffly whipped with a little salt)
1 tbls crème fraiche
40g truffle
Nutmeg, salt, pepper

1. Prepare a béchamel sauce. [If you have not made one before, melt the butter into a medium saucepan over a medium-low heat. When melted, add the flour and stir until it balls together, forming a roux. Slowly add the milk, stirring or whisking constantly, until it becomes a thick sauce. Taking the pan off the heat while you add the milk helps to avoid lumps. Lumps will form, but with enough stirring they will also disappear, so don't lose heart. There's always a moment where you think you've ruined it, and that's usually seconds before it all comes together. Then add the cheese, and stir until it's melted. I have been known to chuck the cheese in before all the lumps have disappeared. There's something about the melting cheese that takes the last of the lumps with it - I assume it's some sort of chemical reaction.]
2. When [the béchamel] is lukewarm, add egg yolks (one at a time), salt, pepper, grated truffle, cream, nutmeg and grated cheese.
3. Gently, [fold in] the stiffly whipped egg whites.
4. Pour the mixture into a buttered soufflé mould. Cook in a medium warm oven for 25 minutes.



Recipe via www.thetruffleman.com.au, although the text in [square brackets] is my own addition.

[Note: This recipe involves seven hours' chilling and preparation time for the dough. You can buy a pack of good butter-based puff pastry from the supermarket and skip the first three ingredients and four steps, turning this from a day's work to a quick snack. That's what I did...]

500g flour, chilled (or replace with pack of good puff pastry)
2 tsp salt (or replace with pack of good puff pastry)
500g unsalted butter, chilled (or replace with pack of good puff pastry)
250g Tomme cheese, cubed
160-200g cooked ham, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp groundnut oil (I used olive oil, as it's what I had to hand)
50 ml soured cream
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
rocket and lettuce salad
crushed walnuts
sesame seeds

1. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and gradually add 290ml of water, stirring to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
2. Roll the dough into a long thin rectangle about 45cm long and 18cm wide. Flatten the chilled butter into a small rectangle one-third the size of the dough rectangle and place it in the middle. Fold up the sides of the dough to cover the butter.
3. Turn the dough parcel 90 degrees and use the rolling pin to press around the edges to seal them. Roll out the dough into another long rectangle, then fold it up into a square parcel again. Wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
4. Repeat the rolling and folding process another two times, chilling the pastry for 1 hour between each rolling.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry to a depth of about 8mm and cut out 13cm circles. Fill each circle with 20-30g of the cheese and 10-20g of the ham. Season with black pepper. Fold over the pastry to seal in the filling and crimp the edges. Brush with a beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Whisk the mustard with the oil then add the cream, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Make a salad with ripped rocket and crisp lettuce leaves. Drizzle with the mustard vinaigrette, top with crushed walnuts and sesame seeds and serve with the hot pastry parcels.

Recipe from Market Kitchen (unadapted).