This is a fairly straight forward iteration of this classic. Many versions include tomatoes, onions, chilies, cilantro, some even add beans or diced vegetables, but this one only has a little garlic, some spices, and a little lime juice. Eat this straight with chips or use it as a topping for quesadillas, eggs, or whatever strikes your fancy. You can make this smooth or chunky.
INGREDIENTS:
3 ripe avocadoes, pitted and skin removed, placed in a non-reactive bowl 2 cloves peeled garlic, grated on a ginger grater or Microplane (or use garlic powder to taste, but not too much. You want to taste the avocado) ½ teaspoon coriander seed, ground to a fine powder ¼ teaspoon cumin seed, ground to a fine powder 1 lime, squeezed for juice (or more as needed) Salt and pepper to tasteMETHOD:
Using a potato masher or a fork, smash the avocado until it is broken up a little, then flatten it out a bit.
Sprinkle the spices evenly over the surface, then evenly spread the garlic over the surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the seasonings into the avocado, using whatever you started with to mash the avocados up.
Drizzle with the 2/3rds of the lime juice, then mash and mix thoroughly. Taste for balance, and add more lime juice as needed. Stop mashing/mixing when you reach the consistency you like.
Taste for balance, adding more lime juice or salt if needed. If you are storing this for later, drizzle with a little lime juice or spread a little oil over the smoothed out surface, then cover with plastic so the cover is in contact with the guacamole. Keeps a day or three.
Chef’s Notes:
If you wish to make this more involved, you can add ¼-½ onion, diced finely, 1-2 tomatoes cut into medium dice, and 1-2 serrano or jalapeño chilis, cut into fine dice or minced. You could scatter chopped cilantro over the guacamole if you wish, as well, or you could use all of the above mentioned. If you do not have limes, try this with Meyer lemons or Eurekas, or better yet is a combo of Meyer and Eureka lemons-the Meyer for flavor and fragrance, the Eureka for the acid.
Besides using chips for dip, diagonal cut carrots thick enough to remain firm when dipped, and mix these with slabs of jicama cut similarly.
Yield: Around 2-3 cups
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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