The short answer: to make truffle butter for cooking, mash 125 g of soft unsalted butter with 10 g of finely grated fresh truffle and a pinch of flaky salt. Roll it into a log and chill it for an hour. Slice it onto steak, pasta or eggs. Keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 days, or freeze it.
Truffle butter is the easiest way to make one truffle go a long way. Butter holds the aroma better than oil, and a cold slice melting on hot food releases it right at the table. Below: the cold method, a smooth infused method, how to read the label on shop-bought truffle butter, and the storage rule.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Ratio | 10 g fresh truffle to 125 g butter |
| Time | 10 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling |
| Makes | About 135 g, 8 to 10 slices |
| Keeps | 4 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer |
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter, soft
- 10 g fresh black truffle, brushed clean
- A pinch of flaky salt
- Baking paper
Use unsalted butter, so the salt is yours to set. Summer truffle works; black winter truffle gives a deeper taste.
How to make truffle butter
- Soften. Leave the butter out for about an hour, until a finger sinks in easily.
- Grate. Grate the truffle on the finest side of the grater, straight onto the butter.
- Mix. Add the salt and mash it all together with a fork until the specks are even.
- Roll. Spoon it onto baking paper, roll it into a log and twist the ends.
- Chill. Put it in the fridge for 1 hour, until firm enough to slice.
The cold method keeps the most aroma. Heat fades truffle, so nothing here is cooked.
A smooth, infused truffle butter
For a butter with the truffle taste all through it and no specks, infuse it. Put 125 g of butter and the truffle peelings or 10 g of grated truffle in the Glass of the NOIDS Herb Lab, under the MAX mark. Cover it with the Dish Lid and run the Oil function: about 120 to 180 minutes at 100 °C, held within 1 °C, so the butter never browns. Strain it through the Filter Set, let it set in the fridge, then mash in a little freshly grated truffle for the top note. The how to use page shows each step.
Want to fry with it? Infuse clarified butter instead. It takes more heat before it burns.
How to read the label on shop-bought truffle butter
| The label says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Truffle aroma, flavouring | An added aroma, not truffle |
| Natural flavouring | An aroma from natural sources, not necessarily truffle |
| Truffle 3%, no aroma | Real truffle is the only source of the taste |
Many shop-bought truffle butters list a small share of truffle and an aroma. The aroma does most of the work. Homemade with 10 g in 125 g of butter is about 7% truffle.
How to use truffle butter
- Steak: a cold slice on the meat while it rests.
- Pasta: melt a slice into hot tagliatelle with a splash of pasta water.
- Eggs: stir a little into scrambled eggs off the heat.
- Risotto: beat in a slice at the end instead of plain butter.
- Mashed potato: fold in 2 slices just before serving.
- Toast: on warm sourdough with flaky salt.
For more butters made the same way, see our compound butter guide. For a finishing oil with the same truffle, see truffle oil. A frozen log in a jar makes a good present for a cook; more ideas in gifts for cooks.
How long truffle butter keeps
- Fridge: wrapped tightly, use it within 4 days. Fresh truffle is the reason for the short time.
- Freezer: slice the log, freeze the slices on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months.
- Take out only what you need. Do not leave it at room temperature for long.
Questions
How much truffle do I put in truffle butter?
10 g of fresh truffle for 125 g of butter gives a clear truffle taste. Use 5 g for a milder butter.
Can I make truffle butter with truffle oil?
You can mix a few drops of truffle oil into butter, but most truffle oil is an added aroma. For the taste of real truffle, use fresh truffle.
How long does homemade truffle butter last?
4 days in the fridge and about 3 months in the freezer. Do not keep it at room temperature.
Should I cook with truffle butter?
Add it at the end. Heat fades the truffle aroma, so melt it onto hot food rather than frying in it.
Does butter preserve fresh truffle?
No. Butter carries the aroma, but the truffle in it is still fresh food. That is why homemade truffle butter keeps 4 days in the fridge, not weeks. If you want it to last, freeze it the day you make it.
Can you freeze truffle butter?
Yes, and it is the best way to keep it. Slice the log first, freeze the slices on a tray, then bag them. Use them within 3 months, straight from frozen onto hot food.
What goes well with truffle butter?
Plain, rich food with little else on the plate: steak, fresh pasta, eggs, potatoes, risotto and white bread. Strong sauces, garlic and spice cover the truffle, so keep the rest of the plate simple.
Is shop-bought truffle butter made with real truffle?
Sometimes. Read the label: if it lists an aroma or flavouring, most of the taste comes from that. A butter that lists only truffle, butter and salt is the real thing.
Which truffle is best for truffle butter?
Black winter truffle gives the deepest taste and holds up best in butter. Summer truffle is milder and cheaper, and makes a good everyday butter. White truffle is best shaved raw over food, so save it for that.
Can I use truffle peelings or truffle from a jar?
Yes. Peelings and pieces from a jar cost less and suit the infused method, where the butter takes up their taste over the hours in the Glass. Check the jar label for an added aroma first.
