I had this dish at a Piedmontese restaurant called Diqui (in Vercelli)Hazelnuts are a typical northern Italian product from Piedmont. This is where Nutella was invented after all.
Course: Gluten-free, Mains, Risotto, Starters
Cuisine: Italian, Piedmontese
Keyword: Hazelnuts, Risotto
Servings: 4
Ingredients
100gHazelnuts
50gButter
2Shallots or ideally, sweet white onions, chopped
300gPiedmontese risotto rice such as Vialone Nano, Baldo or Carnaroli.
1glassWhite wine
2litresVegetable or mushroom stock, hot
50gPecorino cheese or local Piedmontese cheese
30-50gButter
Sea salt
White pepper
a few dropsHazelnut oil
Instructions
Toast the hazelnuts lightly, taking care not to scorch them
Using a heavy bottomed saucepan on a medium low heat, add the butter and onions and soften.
Add the rice and stir continually, making sure neither the onions nor the rice gets burnt.
Then when it is hot enough, add the glass of white wine, stirring.
Simmer for a few minutes then add the hot vegetable stock, ladle by ladle until each is absorbed by rice.
Coming up to 20 minute mark, beat in the cheese and butter.
Adjust seasoning, sea salt and white pepper
Add the hazelnuts, leaving some whole for the top
Remove from the heat and add a drizzle of hazelnut oil