Pepe Saya, Tempe

Most people who know me know that I have a thing for butter, or any diary product. Which is why I was especially excited when - after the Master the Mousse Class with Homemade Fine Foods - Pepe from Pepe Saya offered to show me and the French Wench the making of truffle butter!!!

First, you start with really nice butter...

This is a cultured butter, and besides the usual richness that you get from this epitome of rich dairy goodness, there is a slight sourness that I feel adds a lot of character and attitude. It's like the luxurious meets funk. I like.

Pepe was telling us that he first matures the cream, then adds the culture, before churning the butter. And here I thought that all you had to do was over-whip cream!

Side tangent - besides butter, Pepe Saya also has a range of other foodstuffs, my favourite of which is the Taramasalata!

I can't say definitively that it's amazing Taramasalata because I didn't grow up with it, but I can say that it's definitely something I really like! The acid/garlic/saltiness is just so addictive to me that I finished half the jar pretty much upon arriving home. LOVE IT!.

Anyway, back to the truffle butter.

Pepe got sent truffles from Perigord Truffles of Tasmania.



And man this is the biggest pile of truffles that I've ever seen in person.



The smell was just absolutely intoxicating.

Pepe simply shaves off the truffles into the butter and then mixes it. Apparently truffles have an 'expiry date' of 10 days, and so you really have to work quickly. Butter does help preserve the flavour though - the oil prevents air from coming into contact with it, and so prevents oxidation.

And truffles are not just amazingly delicious, they are also really pretty on the inside!

Isn't that marbling simply gorgeous?! It gets me excited like a good piece of steak. Okay, that came out wrong, but you know what I mean.

Oh here's another sight to behold!



TEN KILOS OF BUTTER SPECKLED WITH TRUFFLE!!!!!

*wipes drool*

Maybe it's just me, but the combination of the two is just so simple yet so mind blowing!!!

And we actually got to take little pats home!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just in case there are any doubters out there, it is DELICIOUS. Although the suggestion was to let it melt slowly onto a good steak, I had mine spread onto sourdough toast, and it was one of the most satisfying lunches I've ever had. Light and yet luxurious at the same time, I just kept breathing in the intoxicating scent of the truffles mingling seductively with the cultured butter.

Even if truffle butter isn't quite your thing and isn't enough to get you as excited as I am, Pepe also has butter master classes ($80) and cheese making classes ($220/class, 3 parts) as well! Just contact them for more information. With my history of loving cultured diary products, I know what I'm asking for as my birthday present!

Pepe Saya
Unit 4, 3 Wood Street
Tempe NSW 2044
+61 2 9519 2793
info@pepesaya.com.au


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