Guacamole

I love guacamole! It features the amazing avocado better than any other dish. The major downfall is that avocados can be really expensive. However, the other day the local super market had them on sale for 3 for $1. Yep, so for little to no money I can have my favorite chip dip.

Preparing Your Ingredients

The first step is to set up your mise-en-place — French for “putting in place.” Basically before attempting to assemble the dish you need to have all of the ingredients prepared. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, chop the cilantro and finally seed and dice the tomatoes. This is an important step, if you do not seed the tomatoes, your guacamole will be runny and unappetizing looking. Cut the tomatoes in half and then use a spoon or your fingers to remove the seeds and liquid from within the tomatoes.

Selecting and Preparing Avocados

Next you need the avocados. Make sure that you pick up ripe avocados at the store. You want them to be soft and not rock hard. A good indicator is if the skin has a little give when you press your thumb into it. If you are unable to find ripe avocados you can place unripe avocados in a brown paper bag and they will ripen within two days, usually overnight.

Next you need to core and peel the avocados. Cut the avocados in half. On one half, the seed will stick to the avocado. Using a spoon or a knife pop it out.

Then using a spoon, separate the skin from the fruit of the avocado. Once you get it going, the fruit will pop right out.

Mixing the Guacamole

Squeeze the lime juice over the avocados and stir so that the lime juice evenly covers the avocados. This will prevent them from browning.

Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash the avocados with a fork, potato masher or whatever clean tool you have lying around that will get the job done. I have used a pastry blender, nut chopper. They all work and get the job done.

Next, add the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Fold everything together.

Then let the guacamole sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Simple, delicious and extremely easy. This is a must for every summer party.

Guacamole

Simple homemade guacamole made with fresh avocados, lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes and onions. Adapted from Alton Brown. Ready in 15 minutes plus 1 hour resting time.

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Prep Time 15 hours hrs

Total Time 2 days d 12 hours hrs

Servings: 2 cups

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 lime juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro optional
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Method

 

1. Prepare mise-en-place: dice the onions, mince the garlic, chop the cilantro, and seed and dice the tomatoes.
2. When seeding tomatoes, cut in half and remove seeds and liquid with a spoon to prevent runny guacamole.
3. Select ripe avocados that yield slightly to thumb pressure. If unavailable, place unripe avocados in a brown paper bag to ripen overnight.
4. Cut avocados in half lengthwise around the pit. Pop out the pit using a spoon or knife.
5. Using a spoon, separate the skin from the flesh. The fruit will pop right out.
6. Squeeze lime juice over the avocados and stir to coat evenly. This prevents browning.
7. Add salt, cumin, and cayenne. Mash avocados with a fork, potato masher, pastry blender, or nut chopper.
8. Add the diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and minced garlic. Fold everything together gently.
9. Let guacamole sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
10. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos, or burgers.

Notes

Adapted from Alton Brown. Lime juice is essential to prevent avocado oxidation (browning). Use any tool to mash the avocados — fork, potato masher, pastry blender, or nut chopper. The 1-hour resting time is important for flavor development. Equipment: Knife, cutting board, fork or masher, spoon.