• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Belly Rumbles
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Restaurants
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Restaurants
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Blog

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffles

    July 14, 2015 By Sara McCleary Updated November 29, 2020 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Aren’t the photos of my perfectly risen black truffle and parmesan souffles delightful? What you can’t see them? You can only see deflated saggy looking excuses of this classic French dish? Hold on, don’t go scrolling down the post to find the perfectly risen money shot, there isn’t one.

    Instead you will find a “but a dog ate my homework” excuse for those not so perfect puffs, but I'll get to that shortly. Before we get to my excuse I want to tell you about some dogs, that don’t eat homework or the Perigord truffles (French winter black truffles) they hunt.

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffle | www.bellyrumbles.com

    Red Earth Truffles' Dogs & The Hunt

    Abbie and Tom are the two hardest working members of the Red Earth Truffles team. Red Earth Truffles is a family owned and run farm based in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. They also grow olives and have a small livestock holding which includes lambs, and it just happens to be lambing season at the moment. These guys certainly have their hands full as the truffle and lambing seasons collide.

    Red-Earth-Truffles-Abbie

    Abbie is a two and a half year old Rottweiler that has a scenting and tracking pedigree. The other half of the truffle foraging team is Tom, a three and a half year old Australian cattle cross kelpie, or something like that. They aren’t quite sure as Tom was rescued at six months of age from the animal shelter.

    Abbie and Tom are both characters. Abbie is very much the family dog, loving, loyal and protective. When not working she loves spending her time frolicking in the paddocks getting covered in grass and dirt. She is also a big sucker for food and treats. Tom on the other hand is a bit of a goof ball, but also very loyal and loving. They both love hunting for truffles.

    That above paragraph almost sounds like Belly Rumbles is turning into a doggie dating web site. Thor likes to eat chicken, relaxing in front of cosy fireplaces and long walks on the beach……….

    Red-Earth-Truffles-Tom

    Truffle dogs aren’t born with the gift of sniffling out truffles. They undergo specialist training to hunt truffles. Unlike truffle pigs, Abbie and Tom know not to eat their discoveries. Instead they are rewarded with treats and play.

    The guys at Red Earth Truffles also contract a professional truffle dog called Hunter. Hunter is the preferred breed for truffle dogs, a Labrador.

    When it is truffle hunt time the dogs are let loose in the truffiere and are all very quick to pick up the scent of the Perigord truffles. When they find a truffle they paw the earth on top of where the truffle is growing. If the truffle is deeper down they will dig a little bit and then wait for the human half of the team to arrive to carefully remove the soil from around the truffle.

    Red Earth Truffles | www.bellyrumbles.com

    As clever as the Abbie, Tom and Hunter are, a human nose is still needed to ascertain if the truffle is fully ripened before digging it up. If the truffle isn’t quite ripe enough then it is covered with soil again, the spot marked and checked daily until it is ready to harvest.

    The Bandit Bird & Sunken Souffle

    Now back to my deflated souffle story. I could have fudged the photos to make them look perfect and risen. A little bit of top cutting off and shoving something in the black truffle and parmesan souffle to elevate it and puff it out. Trust me you would have never known their flatness if I didn’t want you to, and a good photo will hide all sorts of cooking faux pas. But sharing the truth really is more fun. Also fallen souffles prove that I am only human and things go wrong in the kitchen for every one.

    The recipe was coming along swimmingly. I had made the most perfect roux and subsequent white sauce. My egg whites were stiff and shiny and my folding technique without fault. They were into the oven smelling and cooking away on the road to souffle bliss.

    Knowing that souffles can fall pretty quickly once out of the oven, I had my set up ready for photographs. Souffles are fine if being served to the table straight away, generally they will get there still puffed up and pretty. But I was going to be fart arsing around with a camera to get those perfectly risen souffle shots so I had to be organised.

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffle | www.bellyrumbles.com

    There was a rack to place the hot tray that would ferry my black truffle and parmesan souffles to where I was shooting. There were various pieces of cutlery, some plates, and strategically placed pieces of baguette.

    I open the oven door and the “food porn” perfect souffles are ready to come out. Just before I pull them out I hear flutter flutter flutter. I look up and there is a bird perched on the rack of my photo set up. I look at the souffles again, at the bird, back to the souffles, swear a little, then swear a lot and quickly try and work out what my next move will be.

    JOSH!!!!!!!!! When panicking it is always best to just yell for your 23 year old son to come to the rescue.

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffle | www.bellyrumbles.com

    I shut the oven door and we both head toward the bird. I am trying to reason with it, as you do. And all thoughts of the souffles leave my mind as the thought of the bird shitting all over our new white leather lounge enters it. This is when I internally start to panic, just a little.

    The bird takes off from the rack and circles the room twice. I am waiting for what normally happens, that the bird will try and fly out the large glass windows at the back of the house. Which I may add are closed. But instead it goes back to the rack, looks down and attempts to pick up one of the slices of baguette.

    Ahhh, light bulb moment, he wants the bread. I then realise he had probably been sitting in the bamboo next to the open door, planning his attack for some time while I was in the kitchen.

    Red Earth Truffles | www.bellyrumbles.com

    He gets half a metre in height off the rack with a piece of baguette, nearly the same size as he is, before he drops it. He sits back down, looks at the baguette piece that is now on the floor, starts eyeing off the other piece when I simple say to him “Really? Really?? You really think you are going to get that out of here??” To which the bird looks at me, looks back down at the piece of baguette, looks at me again, then calmly turns around and flies out the back door into the bamboo.

    To which Josh says “That’ll teach you to leave the back door open when you are shooting”. To which I think, not say, "bloody smartarse kids", and we both go back to what we were doing.

    Sadly when I get back to the oven, the souffles are slightly over cooked and fallen.

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffle | www.bellyrumbles.com

    Even though what you see isn’t very pretty, I can vouch that they looked amazing when they were ready to come out that first time. They also smell and taste wonderful, either puffed up like peacocks or flat as pancakes.

    It is currently black truffle season in Australia and we have some of the best Perigord/French black truffles in the World. We really are a lucky bunch to be able to readily access seasonal local black truffles in Australia. If you would like to get your hands on some of the stunning Perigord/French black truffles from Red Earth Truffles you can do so here.

    Now that I have told you my baguette bird bandit soufflé story, I would love to hear if you have any tales of animal related kitchen disasters. Please share so we can all have a giggle along with you.

    Sara xxx

    www.redearthtruffles.com
    Red Earth Truffles Facebook Page

    Belly Rumbles would like to thank Red Earth Truffles for the beautiful truffles that were used to make this recipe.

    Printable Recipe

    Black Truffle and Parmesan Souffle

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Light and fluffy black truffle and parmesan souffles using fresh Australian perigord black truffles from Red Earth Truffles
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Brunch &amp, Light Meals
    Cuisine French
    Servings 6

    Ingredients

    • 250 ml milk
    • 45 grams butter
    • 40 grams flour
    • 40 grams parmesan finely grated
    • 4 eggs separated
    • 1 egg white
    • 30 grams Perigord/French black truffle grated
    • salt & pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven 190°C (370°F).
    • Grease 6 ramekins (10cm deep x 7cm tall) well with butter. Place a collar around each ramekin, this can be either baking paper or greased foil. By doing this you avoid the soufflé spilling over if it rises too quickly due to oven temperature not being quite right.
    • Place milk in a small saucepan and warm until hot, just before simmering point.
    • While your milk is heating melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook for a few minutes. The butter and flour should be bubbling, but you don’t want it to brown.
    • Remove butter and flour mixture from the heat. Add the hot milk in one go and whisk. Your white sauce will thicken as you whisk and as your milk is hot you will be lump free.
    • Place white sauce to the side as you prepare your egg whites. In a clean large size bowl beat the five egg whites until stiff and shiny. Set aside.
    • Stir egg yolks into your white sauce until well combined. Then stir through grated black truffle and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Push the beaten egg whites to one side of the bowl that you have beaten them in. Creating a space to pour the truffle mixture in. Then gently fold the truffle mixture into your egg whites.
    • Do this by starting from the centre of the bowl, and drawing your spoon out to the bowl edge and then folding the mixture over. Do not over fold your soufflé mixture. You want it just combined, it doesn’t have to be prefect.
    • Distribute the soufflé mix between the 6 greased ramekin dishes.
    • Place on a tray on the middle rack of your oven. Cook for around 25 minutes until they are golden, cooked through and puffed up.
    • Serve immediately with green salad and baguette.

    Oven Temperatures

    All oven temperatures are fan forced.

    Measurement Notes

    All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

    The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.

    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles
    « Flight Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class CX101, Hong Kong to Sydney
    The Original Din Tai Fung Taipei, Taiwan »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Heather

      July 24, 2015 at 12:13 am

      What a great recipe!! I have always wanted to try truffles... this sounds amazing!!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 25, 2015 at 11:32 am

        Thanks Heather, it is worth having a go at. Hopefully no birds when you do 😉

    2. Marissa @ OMG FOOD

      July 23, 2015 at 1:35 am

      Hilarious post! Gotta love when strange birds fly into your home and rustle things up. 🙂 I'll bet these souffles were delicious! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 25, 2015 at 11:31 am

        Thanks Marissa, got to love a little chaos!

    3. Sara

      July 22, 2015 at 2:12 pm

      Thanks Donna, they were pretty tasty.

      Reply
    4. Donna

      July 20, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      These sound amazing - anything with truffles sounds amazing 🙂

      Reply
    5. Kennedy Cole| KCole's Creative Corner

      July 20, 2015 at 1:39 am

      If I can ever get my hands on some fresh truffles, I'll be sure to make this beautiful soufflé! Thanks for sharing! 😀

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:10 pm

        Thanks Kennedy!

    6. Helen | Grab Your Fork

      July 19, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      Whenever disasters happen, I console myself that it will make a great story once the tears have gone! And I bet these souffles tasted incredible regardless!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:10 pm

        That is my philosophy too, it will make a great story if nothing else. Luckily they still tasted great.

    7. THE HUNGRY MUM

      July 19, 2015 at 5:04 am

      This is fab! I can almost HEAR you screaming for Josh! Comedy gold 🙂 They look delectable, money shot or not x

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:09 pm

        Naw thanks lovely. And yes, half the neighbourhood heard me yell for Josh!

    8. Lizzie {Strayed Table}

      July 19, 2015 at 1:28 am

      Don't you hate it when you are right in the middle of something and then something distracts you. I swear my greatest thoughts are lost simply by interruptions, let alone a bird with no sense of outside awareness! Had a good giggle and deflated souffles or not, I reckon they tasted amazing and I would love to eat one right now.

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:08 pm

        Thanks Lizzie, glad you had a giggle along with me. Yes the souffles did taste great even if flat.

    9. chocolatesuze

      July 19, 2015 at 12:34 am

      oh dear! i still say they look amazing and i can only imagine how incredible your kitchen would have smelled as they were baking!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:07 pm

        Thanks Suze, and yes the kitchen did smell pretty good.

    10. john | heneedsfood

      July 18, 2015 at 10:35 pm

      Oh no!! I swear, I can see you frantically running around trying to get that damn bird away. I'm sure the soufflés looked smashing when they were all risen and prefect, but you know what? It's all in the taste.

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:06 pm

        Yes it was a bit of a headless chook moment, followed by trying to be a bird whisperer 😉

    11. Howie Fox

      July 18, 2015 at 7:54 pm

      I think they DO look very pretty! I think I never tasted truffle in my life. Now I got quite curious. Beautful pictures! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:04 pm

        Awe thanks Howie. Try and get your hands on some, they are definitely worth trying at least once for the experience. If not, see if you can dine out at a restaurant that has them when they are in season.

    12. Patti @ CooksRecipeCollection.com

      July 17, 2015 at 11:00 pm

      OMG! This looks just amazing! My mouth is watering thinking of the truffles!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:03 pm

        Thanks Patti, they were very tasty indeed.

    13. Whitney

      July 17, 2015 at 3:00 pm

      This post was hilarious! I think your pictures looks lovely, though!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks so much Whitney and the lovely words about my pics 🙂

    14. Claudia | Gourmet Project

      July 17, 2015 at 12:13 pm

      In love with your souffle, with your pics and your dogs!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks Claudia, sadly they aren't my dogs 🙁 They are the dynamic due from Red Earth Truffles.

    15. Julie @ Tastes of Lizzy T

      July 17, 2015 at 10:27 am

      Mm......So savory! I'd love a taste, please! 🙂 Yummed!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:00 pm

        Thanks for the yum, and they are yummy!

    16. Sam - Journo and the Joker

      July 17, 2015 at 3:32 am

      Great story! And beautifully written. I love how the truffle industry is growing in Australia. And at the end of the day it is all about the taste, not the looks.

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 2:00 pm

        Thanks Sam! I am with you, love how the industry is growing. We do things well in Aus.

    17. Harriet Emily

      July 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm

      Sunken or not, they definitely look like the ultimate soufflé to me! Black truffle and parmesan?! You can't get any better than that. I think they look beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 1:59 pm

        Thank you Harriet. Black truffle and parmesan is one of my fave combos, oh and eggs 😉

    18. Amanda@ChewTown

      July 16, 2015 at 4:42 am

      Oh no! But, in all seriousness... frickin hilarious story. 😉 Either way, I'm sure they tasted incredible if a little less fluffy than you had hoped.

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 1:56 pm

        Thanks lovely, they did taste wonderful.

    19. Nancy | Plus Ate Six

      July 15, 2015 at 10:27 pm

      Does a persistant husband hovering around the kitchen count asking how long dinner will be and why do I need five minutes to take photos count?! I love that you didn't edit the souffles and that I got to see them exactly as they would more than likely turn out if I made them. They look delicious and the photos are gorgeous.

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 1:55 pm

        Yes your husband counts LOL! Mine does that too, then when you throw in the son, yup, feel your pain.

    20. Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

      July 15, 2015 at 4:44 am

      Sunken or not these look so scrummy. And the photos look great.
      Your post made me laugh, that is the sort of thing that happens to me!
      I once had a bob tailed lizard in the kitchen as I had left the patio door open after taking photos on the veranda. Scared the living daylights out of me when I saw the head poke out from under the table. I thought it was a massive snake!
      x
      p.s Your dogs are amazing!!! And adorable!

      Reply
      • Sara

        July 22, 2015 at 1:53 pm

        I probably would have fainted if I saw the bob tailed lizard! Sadly not my pups, they are part of the Red Earth Truffle family.

    Primary Sidebar

    photo of Sara McCleary, Founder, Belly Rumbles culinary travel blog

    Well hello there! I’m Sara McCleary a food lover and avid traveller.

    Welcome to Belly Rumbles, my slice of the Internet.

    A space where I share family recipes and ones discovered on my foodie travel adventures.

    Come join me on my culinary adventure.

    More about me ?

    Footer

    back to top


    Nitty Gritty

    About Us

    Let's Connect

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • About
    • Sara McCleary
    • Work With Us
    • Contact
    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Threads

    © Sara McCleary and Belly Rumbles® 2009-2025

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Reddit
    113 shares