One of my favorite foods is guacamole. Mmmmm.
I'm also kinda picky about it. I don't like my guacamole with sour cream, tomatoes, or too much onion flavor. I want the flavor of the avocados to be the star, I guess you could say I'm an avocado purist.
The texture is important to me too. I don't like having my guac too mushy or a jumble of chunks, there should be a good chunkiness to creaminess ratio.
Most grocery store bought guacs do not fit my specifications, so I've developed my own recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 Avocados
- 1 Jalapeno, seeded
- 1 Small shallot or about 1 tablespoon chopped
- ¼ c. Cilantro
- Juice of ½ lime
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
When you're shopping for the avocados you should be looking for a deep dark green/black color on the ouside and just soft enough that there is a little give when you press thumb into them. If they are green they are under ripe. When you squeeze if they feel soft then they are probably overripe. Under ripe can be solved by placing the avocados in a paper bag when you get them home. They should ripen up within a couple days. Avoid geting over ripe 'cause they can't be fixed.
Dice the avocados. Slice each avocado in half. Then give the pit a good whack with a knife so that the knife gets partly embedded in the pit and twist. The pit should pop right out. Next make parallel slices in the avocado flesh, followed by slices in the opposite direction to make little rectangles. Finally take a spoon and scoop out the diced avocado into a bowl.
Chop the shallot, jalapeno, and cilantro. You can add as much or as little as you like. I use shallots because they have a little bite but don't have an overpowering onion flavor.
Most of a jalapeno's spice lives in the ribs and seeds, so if you want your guac spicier leave the seeds and ribs in half the jalapeno. If you're a wimp when it comes to spice then make sure to remove all the seeds and ribs.
For some inconceivable reason some people don't like cilantro. If you are one of these people just use some flat leaf parsley instead.
Dump the shallot, jalapeno, and cilantro in the bowl with the avocado.
Roll the lime on the counter before you cut it, it’ll help get the juices flowing. I usually use about half the lime, but it depends on how ripe your avocados are. The less ripe the avocado the more you'll be able to taste the lime and vice versa. So add a little at a time, you can always add more later. I usually only use about half the lime.
Add the salt and pepper. Again the amount of salt depends on the ripeness of the avocado, so add a little at a time. I use about a teaspoon or less. Mix everything together using a stirring and chopping combo to make it somewhat creamy and somewhat chunky. Taste, adjust seasonings as necessary.
Grab some chips and enjoy!
Download my recipe
The third set is a gift and will be revealed later this weekend...
