Hazelnut Salad

Curtis Stone

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis Stone’s passion for food was inspired as a boy by his mother’s baking and his grandmother’s famous fudge. Tonia caught up with this very busy chef and businessman to talk about one of his favorite topics: food! As he loves to point out: "when you walk down the street and someone comes up and says, ‘You know what? We never used to cook fish in our house. Since we’ve tried that salmon recipe we have it once a week.’ The feeling that gives you is worth a million other things."

Arugula Salad with Balsamic and Toasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally to jostle the nuts and ensure they cook evenly, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool completely.
4. Rub the hazelnuts between your palms to remove the dark skins from the nuts.
5. Very coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
6. Blend the shallot, mustard, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar in a blender until very finely chopped.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and blend until smooth.
8. With the blender on low, slowly drizzle in the oil until emulsified.
9. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Mound the salad on 4 plates, dividing equally.
13. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and serve.