Avocado and black rice might sound unusual bedfellows but Italian Embassy chef (and former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist) Danilo Cortellini has developed this recipe which is delicious.

  • 10 mins
  • 4
  • Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g of Riso Gallo Venere rice, 1 pouch
  • 4 Ripe Avocados
  • Fresh basil to garnish
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g of almond, skinned and chopped
  • 5g of toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • FOR THE PESTO
  • 25g of Basil leaf, washed
  • 20g of grated Grana Padano cheese
  • 45ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • 12g of pine nuts
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

First and foremost prepare the pesto. This is very easy – simply put all the ingredients into a blender or a jug, if you want to use a hand blender, and blitz them all together until you have a grainy paste – keep aside in a jar. You can store the pesto in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and it can be used in a variety of other dishes, such as pasta.

Cook the Venere rice by placing the pouch into the microwave. Open the bag a little and cook for just 90 seconds. Once ready put it a mixing bowl.

Open the avocados in halves and remove the stones. With a small knife make a few incisions on the avocados pulp just to make it easier to eat them once stuffed. If the cavities left by the stones are not wide enough for 2 spoons of rice, scoop out with a spoon a bit of avocado pulp and put it in the bowl with the rice. Now dress the rice with a drop of lemon juice, a tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and a spoon of basil pesto. Add salt and pepper to taste a bit of lemon zest.

Stuff the avocado halves with 2 spoons of rice and serve on a wooden board. Sprinkle over the chopped almonds and the sesame seeds and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

 

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