Mole Risotto with Avocado Puree

I first saw this recipe and thought it sounded delicious, but when was I ever going to make a mole?  That's a bit overly ambitious ... even for me!  Then, I realized I could buy pre-made mole.  Lazy, of course, but at least I could try the recipe before investing all that time making a mole!

The original instructions for this risotto are just bizarre, so I decided to ignore them and just cook risotto, adding mole at the end.  At the SAQ today, I was too tempted by the roses to buy white wine, so I used rose in this recipe (it just says summer to me!).  I also doubled the avocado puree, because who wouldn't want extra?  Finally, at the Val-Mont they had cheddar frais St. Guillaume.  Mmm, cheese curds.  I couldn't resist buying them and snacking on them with some delicious fresh Ontario tomatoes while cooking (who needs mozzarella?).  Then I realized this risotto recipe lacked cheese.  Maybe it just needs cheese curds!  Please note fresh cheese curds won't melt into the risotto, but I loved them.  You could also add in a more traditional Mexican cheese that melts or you could omit the cheese entirely (but where's the fun in that?).

The only problem I have with this risotto is it might be a bit much mole.  The mole I had was extremely thick and made the risotto clump.  Next time, I'd water it down or use less mole.  Still, it's a nice idea (and tasty)!

Mole Risotto with Avocado Puree (vaguely inspired by Fork-Spoon-Knife)

Ingredients
for risotto:
1 cup risotto rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine (or rose!)
at least 3 cups chicken stock
1 cup of Mole (canned or homemade)
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup cheese curds (or other cheese, optional)
for avocado puree:
1 avocado
1 lime
2 tbsp heavy cream

1. Heat the chicken broth.
2. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp butter.  Saute the onion and garlic (try not to colour them).
3. Add the rice and stir.
4. When the rice looks somewhat translucent, add the wine.  Stir occassionally.
5. Reduce heat. When the wine has evaporated, add a ladle-full of broth to the rice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir.  When the broth is absorbed, add another ladle-full.  Continue this process.  It will take about 15 - 20 minutes.  Taste rice occassionally and continue adding broth until it tastes cooked.
6. Meanwhile, mix together avocado, juice of 1/2 of lime, and cream.  You can mash it together with a fork and stir until smooth or use a processor.
7. When rice tastes done, add mole.  You may need to add additional chicken broth if the mole is too thick.  Stir in cheese and butter.  Stir until butter is melted.
8. Serve risotto topped with avocado puree.