Alain Fabregues’ Truffle Pannacotta, Shiraz reduction with Apple and Pear Salsa

Ingredients

For The Pannacotta: In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and caster sugar.  Bring to the boil, remove from the heat, add the truffle and infuse with a lid on for 15minutes. Soak gelatine in cold water then add the softened gelatine to the hot infusion. Place in plastic moulds (or use dariole moulds) and cover with plastic film to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate. For The Shiraz reduction: Bring the Shiraz to the boil and flambé to remove the alcohol, add the sugar and reduce till it thickens. Add the ground truffles and boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat and keep it in a glass jar till needed. For The Salsa: Peel and dice the apples.  Peel and dice the pears – best to wait for your salsa to be ready to be served to dice the pears as they will go brown. Mix the salsa in a bowl with 10g of peeled and diced truffles, add a pinch of sugar cover with a film and refrigerate until needed. To Serve: Dip the bottom of each pannacotta in hot water for just a couple of second and turn out chilled moulds into a bowl and serve by sharing the salsa around the pannacotta.Finish with a drizzle of Shiraz and truffle reduction. Garnish as you like; it is time to make them look pretty, remember the last dish of a meal is an important statement so take that extra minute. This quantity will make 15 Pannacotta. Note: Alain suggests you try to find the “Green Star” apples which is a new West Australian apple.  “Please do as this apple doesn’t get brown  once peeled so you do not have to use lemon to keep it white – lemon is not a friend of truffle as its acidity cancels the subtle phenols of this fungus.” In 2008, a farm near Donnybrook  at Kingswood Heights Orchard in South West W.A. grew a new variety of apple was picked for the first time in Australia. The apple is a cross between the Granny Smith and Delicious varieties and has been imported from Belgium.