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.
Hey now–avocado mashed with Pace Medium is pretty darn good. 😛
My mom put me in charge of making the guacamole as a teen, and I've been making it ever since. It gets rave reviews:
Avocado, mashed but lumpy
Lemon juice
Garlic powder
Cumin
Chile powder
A variation I really like is to add a good amount of sour cream and a bit of cilantro.
Tomatoes belong in salsa, not guacamole. I mash avocados with salt, then stir in cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and CUMIN (my not so secret ingredient).
This looks terrific and really simple – thanks!
Oooh, just found your blog and I <3 it! I'm a complete foodie and love seeing others experiences and tips!
I'm a guac purist – NO tomatoes! EVER! I just use one avocado, a tsp of chopped garlic, a bit of lime juice and salt to taste. SOMETIMES, i'll put in a little jalapeno or whatever chili pepper I've got lying around. Usually – I get my boyfriend to mash the avocado with a fork while watching TV and letting me cook the rest of dinner. I also don't use cilantro – but that's just a personal preference as I dislike the herb's flavour immensely!