Essentials: Guacamole
Ten years ago, when I turned twenty-one, I had never fallen head over heels in love, and I had never cared for guacamole. Then I met a charming boy who urged me to spend the summer with him in California, where good guacamole was ubiquitous and, it turned out, very much to my taste. (Maybe this is why I’m always surprised to see mountains of avocados at the store in the days leading up to the Super Bowl; for me, guacamole is all about summer.) The boy ended up breaking my heart disastrously, but guacamole has never let me down. As I made a batch last week with my usual puppylike excitement (Guacamole! Guacamole!), I wondered if this past decade of avocado-y pleasure has made up for the year or two of pain and self-doubt incurred by the heartbreak. I think the answer is yes.
Like love, guacamole never looks the same way twice, and we all have our own requirements and preferences. I like it chunky with tomatoes, garlic, onions, and not a lot else. I have yet to discover my ideal recipe, but until I do, Ina Garten’s is my starting point. Sometimes I add cilantro, lime juice, or cumin, and sometimes I skip the Tabasco. I am in the business of collecting guacamole tips, so if there are brilliant insights out there I hope you will share.
About the author: Robin Bellinger recently escaped a career in book publishing, which was cutting into her cooking time. Now she's a freelance editor and can bake bread on Tuesday afternoon if she feels like it. She lives in Midtown Manhattan with her husband and blogs about cooking and crafting at home*economics.
Guacamole
- makes 3 cups, serving 2 greedy people or 4-6 reasonable people -
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten.
Ingredients
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
8 dashes Tabasco
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
Procedure
1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.
2. Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.
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25 Comments:
A little roasted garlic in the guacamole never hurt anyone. Adding cilantro is a fine, fine idea. Cilantro = good.
worldcupfever at 11:37AM on 08/08/08
I've had it with fresh corn which was very good.
bobbob at 11:45AM on 08/08/08
Ripe avocados, lemon juice, garlic salt, pepper - mix together and mash til chunky. Simple, simple, simple, oh so yummy!
erinlovestoeat at 11:46AM on 08/08/08
I *love* guacamole, except when onions, cilantro, and garlic are added. I'll check this recipe out w/ those excluded! I was, after all, raised eating avocados picked from the yard, carrying a spoon and eating them in a tree.
Cassaendra at 11:46AM on 08/08/08
I'm happy to see a cilantro-free guac recipe! I would definitely sub lime for lemon, though. Since it's more likely that I'd have those around the house for margaritas or Coronas. :)
One time I just minced some shallots, garlic, and jalapeno together and mixed it with fork-mashed avos, lime juice, and salt. It was really simple and fresh. My friends went crazy.
LiveToEat at 11:47AM on 08/08/08
I used to think guacamole was that homogenous green goo sold in "chain" Mexican restaurants. Then I watched an episode of one or another PBS cooking show with Zarela Martinez. She scolded restaurants (and individuals) who blended the living daylights out of guacamole and sternly instructed that "you must see what's in it - and the idea of guacamole is to taste the avocado!" Since then, I've done it her way, chunky with lots of lime, all other ingredients playing a (proper) supporting role.
therealchiffonade at 12:06PM on 08/08/08
I learned the basics of guac while working at a restaurant whose kitchen was staffed by some central-Mexican natives. It has always worked for me, and when I visit the southwest and make it for parties, it disappears in a flash...
Fork-mashed avocados, diced tomatoes, jalepeno, garlic, onion...fresh lime juice, salt & pepper and cilantro (when I can find it!)
thewrighttaste at 12:08PM on 08/08/08
I usually go with hass avocados, tomatoes (seeded), onions, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, chipotle or cayenne (depends on the mood), and a bit of olive oil for a nice sheen.
When eating with salted tortilla chips I always salt the guacamole AFTER tasting it on a chip otherwise you may oversalt it.
ginsbera at 12:17PM on 08/08/08
I leave out the salt and it still tastes good. I add a little turmeric because it is good for you and easy to sneak in.
I like guacamole sandwiches, on hamburgers, turkey sandwiches.
eatorama at 12:41PM on 08/08/08
I definitely opt for the fresh lime over the lemon; agree with the post-taste-salt method. Nothing worse than salty guac on a salty chip.
I prefer the chunky, au-naturel method, as well...where you can see the tomato and cilantro and even bite into a hunk of avocado every now and again, however, I have found that when making it for a big crowd, blending it well and adding a bit of sour cream makes it more palatable for the less adventurous, as well as "stretching" it a bit.
juliebugsmama at 12:48PM on 08/08/08
i'm jealous of california's selection of avocado varieties. i had some amazing pinkertons in san francisco.
glad to see a post from you, robin, i was beginning to think you beat me to the delivery room (or in my case, my living room).
dmarina at 1:01PM on 08/08/08
Tequila.
A little bit of tequila with the lime juice is awesome. Pick your tequila based on what other ingredients you're using. If you want a bright fruity guac, use silver or blanco, if you're using smoked chipotle in it and are going for a deeper, smokier flavor, use an aged tequila.
Yum.
iancmoore at 2:04PM on 08/08/08
lime instead of lemon and minced jalepenos instead of tabasco.
i'll have to try that tequila tip..i hadn't heard that one before.
sloppy at 2:33PM on 08/08/08
Matt's Rancho Grande in Austin taught me that you add one tsp of lemon juice per avocado, mash and add whatever else you want. I add tomato, onion, garlic powder and salt. Sometimes I put in cilantro and sometimes jalapenos.
ocarol at 3:01PM on 08/08/08
I definitely second the shallot idea. It's like a little onion and a little garlic at the same time. Also, a generous dash of cayenne will give it a little kick.
blueskyman at 3:48PM on 08/08/08
add cumin and smashed up garlic, like a paste.
seikel at 3:52PM on 08/08/08
I adore Rick Bayless' Toasted pumpkin seed guacamole
3 large ripe avocados, diced
½ small red onion, diced
½ to 1 fresh serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
About 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¾ cup hulled, toasted, salted pumpkinseeds - pulverized into a paste in a food processor, plus a few extra seeds for garnish
Salt to taste
jymbrittain at 4:52PM on 08/08/08
avocado + lime + salt = perfect.
nevereverforever at 5:47PM on 08/08/08
If the picture represents the avocados you use, I'd suggest buying better avocados.
skkip at 8:43PM on 08/08/08
In an old Pink Adobe cookbook by Rosalea Murphy, the guacamole recipe specifies mashing the avocados with a SILVER fork. Any chemists out there know what that's about?
angel at 7:43PM on 08/09/08
I like to keep it simple, just avocados, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and a little cayenne to add some heat.
eszarets at 9:20AM on 08/21/08
I love all of these suggestions! I was schooled in guacamole when I lived in New Mexico and traveled extensively throughout Mexico. Now I live in Denmark and they only way to get good guac here is to make it myself. Some of my Danish friends seem to think that "authentic" guacamole contains creme fraiche. Oh the humanity!
mmlandsmann at 5:06AM on 09/27/08
I was shocked to read the list of ingredients. I always add dry refrigerated chicken soup base prior to salting. These flavors compliment each other, try it!
Foody2 at 12:11PM on 11/05/08
I disliked guacamole growing up. I was only exposed to the supermarket and cheap restaurant versions though. Then one night my wife and I went to dinner with some friends, all of whom were either cooks, bakers or restaurant managers. They raved about the guacamole at that restaurant, but I was still hesitant. That is until our waiter came back and prepared the guacamole at our table. He cut the avacadoes, tomatoes, onions cilantro, garlic, and squeezed the lime right there. It looked fresh. good and inviting, and my reservations about prepackaged and mass produced guacamole didn't apply, so I tried a little. I ordered another serving for the table because my wife and I were eating so much of it. We are now guacamole experts.
When we have friends over for dinner that haven't had our guacamole, we like to use the same approach. We will wait until most everyone is there and then make the guacamole right in front of them. We have converted a few non-guacamole friends to the green side. We live in GA so we like to use Vidalia onions.
We like to eat it with steak. For some reason it is a perfect pairing.
3 Has avocados, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
½ onion, diced (sweet, Vidalia, or red)
½ lime or 3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours for flavors to combine.
IMwink at 2:06AM on 05/23/09
Try adding a teaspoon or less of worcestershire for umame balance. I learned that tip at Tejas Restaurant in the Twin Cities where the waiters make a fabulous tableside guacamole.
marey at 1:09PM on 09/01/09