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.
haha. forgive me. molcajete.
I realized today that I had not stopped by for quite some time. I am glad that I chose today to stop by as I have been contemplating making some guac for dinner tonight. I looooove the stuff. I love guacamole all kinds of different ways. My favorite is avocado, sea salt, lime juice, cayenne pepper. Mush it up and eat. My mother used to use avocados, bottled salsa, and (EGAD!!!) american cheese. I definitely have told her that stuff could no longer be classified as guacamole. LOL
I'm about to order a mortar and pestle online. Your guacamole post is the final deciding factor. The other day I had to improvise to make my mojo sauce. I cannot make guacamole without it. Thank you. Now I don't have t feel guilty about buying another toy.
I don't have a set recipe for mine — depends on what's on hand when the mood strikes, and how I'm thinking about it.
I do, though, like to be consistent in toasting whatever I put in (other than the avocado, lime and cilantro.) I always toast my unpeeled garlic, as well as any onion, Roma tomato, or comino that I might use, just as I do for salsa. Adds another layer of flavor (as they say on Food Network) and just plain looks cool!
I've also been known to sprinkle on a little smoked paprika, but not often.
I also like some diversity in the texture of the avocado, so I'll mash half of however many I'm making, mix in the add-ons, and then cube and fold in the other half.
My dad also plops mayo into his version. I keep it nice and simple: avocados, fresh scallions or chives, lime juice, cilantro, ground cumin and few grinds of coarse salt & peppercorns. There is an additional secret ingredient…I'm intrigued by your addition of garlic, yum.