Method

Toast and peel the hazelnuts (See Tip below).  Coarsely chop and set aside.

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the chicken broth over medium-low heat to a simmer.  Decrease the heat to the lowest setting and cover to keep hot.

In a risotto pan, 8-quart Dutch oven, or 5-quart sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a piece of prosciutto.  Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.  With a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the prosciutto to a small bowl.

Add the onion to the oil left in the pan and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened.  Add the rice, decrease the heat to low, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until it is evenly coated with the oil and heated through.  Add the wine, raise the heat to medium, bring to a boil, and stir until absorbed.

Using a large ladle, add about 1 cup of the hot broth and half of the diced apple to the rice.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a risotto or flat-edged wooden spoon, until the broth is almost fully absorbed.  Add the remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and adding more broth only after the previous addition has been absorbed, until the rice begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Adjust the heat so the rice simmers rapidly throughout the cooking.  Add the remaining apple during the last 10 minutes of cooking, and use as much of the hot broth as the rice will absorb.  The total cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes.  The risotto is done when it is creamy and the grains are plump and tender with a slight resistance to the bite, not when the timer says it is.  Stir in the nutmeg and cheese until fully blended and season to taste with salt.

Remove the risotto from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes before serving.  Spoon into warmed shallow bowls, and scatter the crisped prosciutto and the hazelnuts evenly over the top.  Pass additional cheese at the table.

Serves: 4

TIP:  Toasting and Peeling Hazelnuts:  Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed sheet pan and roast in 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the skins crack.  Wrap in a coarse kitchen towel to cool.  Rub cooled nuts vigorously with towel to loosen skins.  Don't worry if small bits of skin remain on the nuts.

Reprinted with permission from ©Sur la Table, Inc. Things Cooks Love, recipes by Marie Simmons, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing click for book review

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