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.
Guacamole – Adapted from Alton Brown
- 3 avocados
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
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.
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.
This is simple. 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.
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.
