Originally made by the Aztecs of long ago, Guacamole continues to be a mainstay of North American snack foods. I’ve heard it said that the sales of guacamole in restaurants is ‘through the roof’ on two specific days: Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo.
Translated, Guacamole is ‘avocado sauce’ and the basic rule for making a great Guacamole is… less is more. Classic guacamole contains only avocados, cilantro, onion, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice.
And the process is very simple too. Start with the best avocados – dark green, almost black skin; they should ‘give in’ with subtle pressure. Thoroughly mixing the cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and garlic to form a paste before joining with the avocado ensures that all of the flavours are thoroughly incorporated. Originally, a mortar and pestle would have been used to do the ‘mashing’ – and this is still a great idea. However, instant gratification sometimes prevails, and so a food processor also works beautifully. This thorough mashing is done prior to adding the chunks of avocado … because it is chunks of avocado that you want – not a puree.
Classic Guacamole
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons (45-60 mL) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (30 mL) red onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) jalapeno pepper (fresh or pickled), roughly chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) Kosher salt
2 fresh avocados, peeled and pits removed, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
Kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Place the cilantro, garlic, red onion, jalapeno pepper, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
Roughly ‘chop’ and ensure that everything is well-combined. Alternatively, you can finely chop these ingredients by hand, or use a mortar and pestle.
2. Prepare avocados by peeling, removing pits, and cutting it into chunks. Mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Immediately add the cilantro-onion mixture to the cut-up avocado. Gently combine.
3. Stir in olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish with extra cilantro.
4. Tear open the chip bag!
Comments and questions are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
