Guacamole, my way
I’m often asked why I don’t have a guacamole recipe on my site. I reckon the simplest answer is because I don’t have a recipe for guacamole. Instead, I just add some ingredients to a smashed-up avocado and call it a dip.
When my mom was in the liturgical nacho stage of her life (so-called because she made her daily lunch of nachos always the exact same way) she’d whip up a batch of guacamole to go with them. She totally cheated, however, as she mashed an avocado with bottled hot sauce.
My mom can do many things very, very well, but I have to admit that this guacamole was not the best I’d eaten in my life. (And, for the record, she insists that she no longer makes guacamole this way.)
Guacamole is all about freshness and using a bottled hot sauce is anathema to this underlying principle. While you want the avocado to be the star, the other ingredients need to be heard as well, and nothing is louder than the crunch of fresh chiles, the tang of lime juice and the bite of fresh garlic.
There’s also the problem of bottled salsa having tomatoes as a base. I’m a firm believer that tomatoes shouldn’t be in guacamole; the texture is just wrong. Tomatoes are too juicy and soft and I want my accents to the avocado to be firm. I realize most people would disagree with me, but that’s OK as that’s probably the best thing about guacamole—everyone makes guacamole the way that they like it.
Take my uncle, for instance. He stirs in a heaping spoonful of mayonnaise into his guacamole, which he swears makes it super creamy. Then there’s a friend who’s been known to add sesame seeds to her guacamole, which is a subtle yet surprising accent. Obviously, the ways to make guacamole are infinite.
So, I’m happy to share with you how I make my guacamole, but what I really want to know is how you make your guacamole.
Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Serrano chile, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Mash the avocado with a fork in a bowl or Mexican mortar and pestle (molcajete) until desired consistency. Stir in the garlic, Serrano, cilantro, lime juice, and salt, then taste and add more salt if desired. Serve immediately.
I can think of nothing better than a dinner or guacamole and tortillas. A beautiful, beautiful Texas dinner for one. I make mine with avocado, finely diced onion, finely diced tomato (seeds removed), finely diced jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. I'm not a big fan of cumin or garlic.
This is perfect. I hate when guac is over-complicated and fussy. This is exactly what I do with it, except very little heat. Otherwise, Lucy will admonish me for making it "spicy" and stage a boycott.
This is exactly why I love you, btw – you never mangle a good, simple dish. You get subtlety (sp?) and when to stop. Awesome.
kim
Oh yeah…
And thanks for all your support of late. It means a lot.
xo
Alta–I have to agree–no cilantro or jalapenos means it's just mashed avocadoes!
Heidi–Sugar? Oh, really? Thanks for sharing!
Kelly–Thank you!
Mario–Very simple–I love it!
BlueJeanGourmet–Yes, you do! Though that one kept shedding grit so I bought another one. Will write about it and how to season them soon.
Deb–I think the garlic powder must be a NM thing because my mom saw someone do that in Santa Fe and was convinced it was the best guac ever!
Mandy–I bet that's refreshing!
Lisa–Sour cream is a much better solution than mayonnaise.
Fineartoffathering–Welcome!
Phoo-D–Olive oil, eh? Hmmm!
Anon–Aww, thank you! And I'm a molcajete convert!
Jim–I bet that's a pretty bowl of guac!
AMN–Have to try the cotija cheese!
Bren–Indeed, that's what makes cooking so much fun!
Allie B–Take plastic wrap, spread it on top and lightly press it into the guac. And I'd reheat the queso on low heat, maybe add a bit more half and half it's gone solid.
Shoaib–Another olive oil fan–this I'll have to try!
Chi–Don't even get me started about Southern California's bounty–I'm constantly jealous of my food-blog friend who live there and write about all the lovely fruits and vegetables they can get all the time.
LisadelRio–I'll have to tell my mom there are others like her out there!
PrtyBrd–That is indeed a beautiful, beautiful Texas dinner.
The Yummy Mummy–I'm all about keeping it simple! And you're very welcome!
I made this last night with fajitas. It was ridiculously delicious. Best guacamole ever.
Thanks.