A dish in regular rotaion around my house, this avocado risotto really does feels like springtime.
I know it might seem odd to put avocado into risotto, but once you try this, I swear you’ll be a convert. This is currently one of two ways that I can get avocado into my daughter without us playing the I-never-liked-avocado-why-are-we-eating-this record that is (in various incarnations) so frequently on the playlist in our house.
And as we eat our meals together as a family, whatever I am cooking for the kid has to pass muster with the grown ups as well, which this does with flying colors.
I thought I’d originally found the recipe in Fred Plotkin’s The Authentic Pasta Book, but when I looked this morning, I realized I was mistaken. And I should have known… Risotto is RICE, not pasta. Shame on me. Regardless, the book is worth a look if you ever come across it. As far as the exact methodology goes, you will unfortunately just have to deal with my very unprofessional instructions.
First off, toss out any ideas about how difficult it is to cook risotto. If you can stir rice in a pot, you can do this. It just requires that you pay a bit of attention to what you’re doing. Click on for the recipe…
Avocado Risotto for 2 from a forgotten source
3 cups chicken (or veg) stock
a 2 count pour of olive oil
one large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 large avocado, diced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 or 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Heat up the chicken stock to a simmer. Keep it at this temperature the entire time. I have read someplace that the secret to a good risotto is keeping the liquid warm when adding it to the pot. Don’t know if that’s true, but I figure what harm does it do just to follow that advice?
Next, heat up a bit of oil in a large saucepan over a low flame, add the shallot and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then add the dry rice and stir until the grains are completely coated with the oil.
Now comes the “tricky” part. Add about 1/4 cup of the simmering broth to the rice mixture and stir. You don’t have to stir constantly, but do come back to the pot frequently. When the stock has been absorbed (but hopefully before the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pan) add some more stock. Keep doing this over and over until the rice has just about reached your preferred level of doneness. Which you will determine via frequent tasting. This usually takes me 20 – 25 minutes.
Just when it looks like you’ll need one more bit of stock, pour in the lemon juice and add the avocado. Stir well till the juice absorbs (should be a minute or so) And now, last but not least, toss in the cheese and mix until it has just melted.
Take the pot off of the stove, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
(oh and by the way, I saw this delicious looking version with cherry tomatoes and mint on Food52.)
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