MUST EAT

This dish has three key elements, herb salad, garnish and risotto. Here’s what you will need.
For the Herb Salad
2/3 cup fresh chervil leaves
2/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2/3 cup fresh tarragon leaves
2/3 cup micro sorrel leaves
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Adding fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

For the Risotto
2 cups Arborio rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 cup dry white wine
4 ounces Époisses cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
Adding once again fleur de sel and freshly ground white pepper, to taste.

For the Garnish
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and finely chopped
8 large fresh eggs

And now comes the magic – here’s what you should do:
For the salad, toss all of the herbs in a medium-sized bowl with lemon juice and olive oil to coat, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring 4 ½ cups of water to a boil in a heavy small saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, (about 2 minutes). Stir in the rice and stir for about 30 seconds. Then add the wine reduced by half.
Add the water in increments of about 1/4 cup at a time to keep the consistency of the risotto fluid. Cook at a simmer, adding more water as needed, stirring constantly, until the rice is ‘al dente’ (not too soft).
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream and then the époisses. The risotto should be a thick, creamy consistency. Season the risotto to taste with salt and white pepper. As the risotto sits, it will continue to thicken; add a bit more cream before serving (if necessary).
Spoon the risotto into eight shallow bowls. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the risotto. Crack an egg into a cup, separate the yolk from the white, and place the yolk on top of a serving of risotto. Repeat with the remaining eggs (reserve the egg whites for another use, if desired). Scatter the herb salad over the risotto and serve immediately.
Yummy!! (Ed: or as they say in French … délicieuse!)
And if you’d like to see the master at work, you can view this dish being prepared by Ludo Lefebvre on YouTube