Classic Guacamole
By LaLaCooks
Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serving 6 as an appetizer, 8 to 10 as a nibble.
7.11 - Tonight was Rick Bayless Mexican night. We had Goridtas with Classic Shredded Beef, Classic Guacamole, and Brown Rice with Black Beans & Cilantro. Our favorite Mexican meal ever! The rice dish was a Cooks Illustrated and probably not traditional Mexican but was perfect with this meal.
Love guacamole made this way. I used 1 jalapeno and 1 serrano.
Ingredients
- 2 serrano chilies, stemmed
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 3 ripe avocados
- 2 T fresh lime juice
Preparation
Step 1
1. Roasting the Chiles. Lay the chiles in a small ungreased skillet set over medium heat. Turn them every minute or so until they have softened (they’ll darken in spots), 5-10 minutes. Mash them into a coarse puree, using a mortar, or finely chop them. Place in a large bowl.
2. More Flavorings. Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water; shake off excess water and add to the bowl with the chiles. Chop the tomatoes into small bits – skin, seeds and all is my preference. You should have a scant cup. Add to the bowl along with the cilantro.
3. The Avocados. To cut an avocado in half, you have to negotiate the large egg-shaped pit in the middle. Make a cut down the length of one avocado straight through to the pit. Continue cutting all the way around the pit until you wind up where you started. Twist the two halves in opposite directions and pull them apart. Scoop out the pit (the hueso, or bone, in Spanish) with a spoon. Then scoop out the avocado flesh from the skin and add to the bowl. Do the same with the remaining avocados. Use an old-fashioned potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the avocado flesh into a coarse pulp, mixing in the other ingredients as you go.
4. Seasoning the Guacamole. Taste the guacamole and season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon, then add some of the lime juice and taste again. Continue seasoning with lime until the guacamole has enough zip for you. Cover with plastic wrap, placing directly on surface, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Serving. Unless you’re serving guacamole dolloped on tacos or the like, the classic way to present it to your guests is in a Mexican lava-rock mortar (molcajete), sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Sliced radish, if you have it, looks pretty here, and to the Mexican eye completes the very popular, patriotic red-white-and-green motif.
5. Working Ahead: Guacamole is good when freshly made, but, in my opinion, it tastes better when the flavors are allowed to mingle for about half an hour before serving. If well chilled, it’ll keep for several hours. After that, the flavors get out of balance and the avocado starts to brown.