Hazelnuts have that rich flavoursome tang, and wonderful texture, which are complemented in this savoury main dish.
500 grams will serve four to six people
Choose undamaged hazelnuts and grind most of them as finely as possible. A small coffee or nut grinder is ideal. Reserve a handful to chop into tiny pieces, for a contrast in texture. Put them all in a mixing bowl. Onions form the flavour contrast in this dish, so use two large mild onions, and either grate them in the processor or chop finely by hand, red onions are ideal.
The best vegetables to use for bulk are carrots. Coarsely grate some organic carrots. You will need the about double the volume of the nuts and onions combined. It is not crucial. Better to use a lot than not enough. Add them to the raw ingredients in the mixing bowl.
The final ingredient is a big bunch of curled parsley. Chop it very finely indeed, and add it to the mixing bowl.
To complete, thoroughly mix all the ingredients, adding a dash of soy sauce if you wish. Form into one loaf or individual patties, and serve with a simple salad of chicory leaves mingled with little gem lettuce leaves. These perfectly complement the flavours and textures, but any leafy salad is fine. For the sauce, blend five or six large tomatoes and serve separately. They don’t need any additions. The fresh flavour is perfect by itself.