Hazelnuts

The skin on hazelnuts is very bitter and difficult to remove. An easy method was taught to me by the late Carl Sontheimer (founder of Cuisinart and father of the food processor). For up to 1 cup of nuts, pour 3 cups/700 ml of water into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in ¼ cup of baking soda. Add the nuts and boil for 3 minutes. The water will turn a deep maroon from the pigment in the hazelnut skins. Test a nut by running it under cold water. The skin should slip off easily. If not, boil for a couple of minutes longer. Pour the nuts into a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Place several nuts in a bowl of cold water. Slide off the skins and place the nuts on a clean dish towel. As necessary, empty the bowl, refill with cold water, and add more nuts. Roll and rub them around to dry them.