- 3 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 shallot, minced
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup hazelnuts
- 3 Belgian endives
- ½ small head radicchio
- 3 ounces young, small arugula (about 4 cups), stems removed
- ¾ pound Taleggio cheese
- To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 30 minutes to allow shallot flavor to mellow. Taste and adjust the balance as needed.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and lightly colored, about 15 minutes. Immediately wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously in the towel to remove as much of the skins as possible. (Don’t worry if a lot of skin adheres.) Chop the nuts coarsely.
- Halve each endive lengthwise and remove the core. Cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Core the radicchio and tear into bite-size pieces. In a serving bowl, combine endive, radicchio, arugula, and hazelnuts. Add enough of the dressing to coat the leaves lightly; you may not need it all. Toss well, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
- To serve, pass salad and cheese separately. Alternatively, divide both among 6 plates.