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1
To make the aillade, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325F.
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2
Spread the hazelnuts for both the aillade and for serving the dish on a baking sheet and place them in the oven to toast until theyre golden brown and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so the nuts brown evenly.
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3
Remove the nuts from the oven and set them aside until they are cool enough to touch.
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4
Gather the hazelnuts into a clean dishtowel and rub them together inside the towel to remove the skins.
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5
Set them aside to cool to room temperature.
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6
Put the 1 cup of hazelnuts for the aillade in a large mortar.
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7
Sprinkle the nuts with 1/4 teaspoon salt and work the nuts with the pestle, scraping down the sides of the mortar with a rubber spatula, until they become the consistency of wet sand and you see the oil from the nuts leaching out.
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8
Add the lemon zest and garlic and work them in with the pestle.
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9
Add the hazelnut oil in a slow, steady stream, stirring with the pestle as you add it to keep it emulsified.
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10
Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if desired.
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11
(Use or transfer the aillade into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to several days.
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12
Bring it to room temperature before serving.)
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13
Transfer the hazelnuts for serving to a bowl, drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil, sprinkle with salt to taste, and toss to coat the nuts with the seasonings.
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14
To make the vinaigrette, combine 1/4 cup of Garlic Confit cloves (about 15 cloves), the lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the jar of a blender and puree until smooth.
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15
With the motor running, drizzle the olive oil that the garlic was cooked in into the food processor, adding enough until you have the consistency of a loose paste.
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16
Transfer the vinaigrette to a bowl, taste for seasoning, and add more salt or lemon juice, if desired.
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17
Use the vinaigrette or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
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18
To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette in the center of each of eight salad plates or large soup plates.
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19
Put the ricotta in a medium bowl and stir it vigorously with a spoon to fluff it up.
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20
Spoon a rounded 1/3 cup of ricotta in an uneven pile on top of each serving of vinaigrette.
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21
Use a microplane or fine grater to zest a few gratings of lemon peel over each serving of cheese.
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22
Cut the larger Garlic Confit cloves in half lengthwise and scatter the garlic and hazelnuts around the ricotta, dividing them evenly.
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23
Smear 1 heaping tablespoon of aillade on each crostino, leaving the edges of the toast visible, and sprinkle the aillade with sea salt.
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24
Cut each slice of toast in half on an extreme bias, place two halves on the side of each plate, and serve.
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25
Offida Pecorino (The Marches)
