a very good guacamole
I rarely come out swinging with hard opinions so please believe me when I say you need to stop putting tomatoes in your guacamole. When they aren’t in season they have very little to offer and even when they are, the juiciness detracts from the whole creamy situation you’re trying to cultivate. Instead of dousing your guac in lime, try seasoning everything with salt until it tastes ready and then add just enough lime to cut through the richness. Instead of one tart note, this will ensure your dip is a balanced and flavorful hit.
yield 1 cup
riffing
top with some toasted pepitas or finely diced red onion and then an extra squeeze of lime
broil a hatch or poblano chili, remove the seeds and stem, roughly chop and mix in
add a finely diced radish or two
char thawed frozen peas in a dry pan over high heat, mash half with the chili paste and stir in the rest
mash a grated garlic clove into the chili paste
2 T finely chopped white or red onion
1 T finely chopped jalapeno or serrano chili
1/2 ts diamond crystal kosher salt, 1/4 ts morton’s, plus more to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
1-2 ripe Hass avocados (1 large or 2 small), peeled and pitted
1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped (about 6 inches)
1 lime, cut into wedges
recipe prep
Mash onion, chili, salt and half the cilantro in a mortar and pestle or molcajete until you form a coarse paste (if you don’t have these, you can use the back of a wooden spoon and some elbow grease).
To the bowl of the mortar, add the avocados. If your mortar is too small, transfer the paste to a medium prep bowl and continue from there. Mash the avocados by hand (or with a fork) until very coarsely mashed with some marble-sized lumps.
Add the celery and remaining cilantro. Gently fold everything in (using a spoon or fork), scooping from the bottom to incorporate the chili paste, until everything is just barely evenly mixed. Let the guacamole sit about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, taste, and adjust salt as needed.
Add lime conservatively to taste. Like, literally just a squeezed wedge for one recipe.
a note you should make the guacamole within a few hours of serving. If you end up with some leftover, squeeze lime juice over the top and cover with saran wrap, pressing the wrap down directly on the surface of the guacamole.
having a party? this makes three cups 1/3 cup onion, 3 T jalapeno or serrano, 1 ts diamond crystal kosher salt (1/2 ts morton’s) plus more to taste, 3/4 cup cilantro, 3-6 ripe Hass avocados (3 large, 6 small), 1 1/2 stalks celery, 1/2 lime juiced
On this scale, you can make the chili paste in a food processor if you’d like. Rough chop the ingredients, add them to the bowl of the processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a mixing bowl and continue on your way.
