A quaint, little town in the north-west of Italy – Alba of Piedmont – is known for producing some of the best truffles in the world. Even in the cooler months, the subtropical climate pocket of Alba cultivates this expensive fungal varietal, as well as some delightful drops of wine.
Aldinga’s newest Mediterranean-Italian venue, Silver Sands Beach Club – as an ode to the truffle capital that is Alba – is hosting an indulgent truffle lunch this weekend with a difference.
Silver Sands is recreating traditional Piedmont dishes, including agnolotti del plin – a tiny pasta parcel dish, all accompanied with freshly foraged truffles from local truffle farm, Lovely Valley Truffles.
“There’s a little truffle farm in Myponga that only just got its first truffle crop two years ago,” says Silver Sands co-owner, Nick Stock.
“They’ve got a crop this year, so we both got together, talked and decided to host a celebration for our local truffles.”
The 5-course menu commences with a Bagna cauda dip on arrival, served with cruda paste, grilled ciabatta and fresh vegetables. This course will be followed close behind by a briny beef carpaccio, topped with rocket, shaved Reggiano parmesan and shaved truffle.
Each course is, of course, accompanied with Northern Italian wines, sourced from Silver Sands extensive international wine selection.
“We have great collection with Italian wines, all served in magnum-sized bottles,” says Nick.
“They’re from the Piedmont and Valtellina regions of Northern Italy – the same region of Italy super famous for their truffles.
“This wine is considered some of the best wine in Italy – and we just so happened to fall in love with them a few years ago and have lots of bottles in our cellar.
“This lunch is a great opportunity for us to dig into our cellar and flex some great varieties in a larger format.”
The third course – and show-stopper – will be the agnolotti del plin, accompanied with brown butter, brodo and shaved truffle.
“We are making agnolotti, which is a filled, mini tortellini-style pasta. It is a very traditional dish from that part of Italy. In Alba, if you can make the best agnolotti, you will gain respect from chefs of the region.
“We will be making it from scratch Saturday morning, served with a broth reduction and brown butter and shaved truffles on top.
“We will be foraging for the truffles on Friday morning, taking them back to the restaurant, and making the dishes on Saturday morning. We are super excited!”
What’s more, the team behind Lovely Valley Truffles will also be going to the lunch and talk about their journey of growing and discovering truffles on their Myponga property.
The penultimate course showcases Silver Sands’ Osso Buco – a slow cooked beef dish with creamy polenta and gremolata (which is traditionally served with osso buco). Gremolata is a punchy seasoning mixture of lemon zest, minced garlic, and minced parsley.
The fifth and final course is the Testun di Barolo, which is actually a cheese course.
“We will be serving Italian cheese from that region, and it’s quite unique because they wrap the cheese in grape skin,” says Nick.
“The wines we will be served are pretty rare, and the cheese is actually wrapped in the grapes that make those wines.
“This event is really showcasing our attention to detail and our excitement that we have local truffles right here in our region.”
To find out more about Silver Sands Beach Club’s truffle long lunch or book, contact Nick Stock on +61 460 762 345.
When: Saturday 9 July, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Norman Road, Aldinga Beach 5173
Cost: $225.00 per person
Find Silver Sands Beach Club on Instagram.
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