Lemon and Herb Pilaf with Hazelnuts

By lorik

Tip: Don’t forget to remove the hazelnuts' papery skins after toasting but before chopping. The best way to do this is by enclosing the nuts in a kitchen towel and rubbing vigorously; don't worry if they're not completely skin-free.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup lemon juice, plus 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 to 3 lemons)
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Add the rice, shallots, coriander and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed the water, 10 to 12 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the lemon juice. Drape a kitchen towel over the pot, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, then stir in the parsley, tarragon, lemon zest and hazelnuts. Taste and season with salt and pepper.