Guacamole is one of the simplest recipes out there with only 3 mandatory ingredients – avocados, salt and acid. A few other ingredients are quite necessary to add flavour, such as onions and jalapenos or hot peppers of some sort. The rest of the ingredients, are completely optional and should be used in accordance to your personal taste (cilantro, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, etc.)
The most important thing with most simple recipes, and it’s definitely true with guacamole, is that the success of the recipe depends on the technique and the quality of your ingredients.
You can add whatever you want to your guacamole, but it will never be perfect if you use unripe or overly ripe avocados. So ensure to select you avocados well. Ensure they are still firm enough, not mushy, but you can press on the skin of your avocado leaving a gentle indentation.
Next, comes the technique. My technique is quite different from every other recipe I’ve seen and I’m happy to share it with you.
I start by chopping the onions finely, sprinkling kosher salt and lime juice over them and letting them sit at room temperature for at least ten minutes, and up to 30 minutes. This helps me achieve a few things: take some potency away from the onions, infuse them with flavour, draw some of their juices out to further flavour my guacamole and one more thing. You see, air is guacamole’s kryptonite. By chopping up the onions, squeezing your lime juice and getting everything else prepped, you limit the amount of time that the avocado pulp will be exposed to air.
I use very little acid, I don’t use any garlic or other spices because I don’t want to take away from the flavour of the avocados. I add one or two jalapenos for spice and extra crunch to the bowl with the onions, then the star of the dish itself, then a sprinkle of salt. Very quickly but gently, I mash the avocados ensuring that some parts are mashed very well, while plenty of chunks of various shapes and sized remain. Fold everything gently together and cover immediately with plastic wrap, directly against your guacamole. Again, you are not covering the container with the plastic wrap, instead you are attempting to reduce the exposure to air by pressing the wrap directly against guacamole. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
So simple, yet so different from every other recipe, this technique will help you achieve the absolute perfection and become an ultimate guacamole maker!
Place the onions in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and squeeze the lime juice on top. Toss the onions and let them sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 at room temperature.
Before adding avocados, be sure all of your additions are ready - chopped jalapenos, chopped cilantro, garlic, if using, etc.
Slice each avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into the bowl with onions. Repeat with the remaining avocados. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Mash with a fork ensuring some parts are mashed into a smooth paste while leaving plenty of chunks of various shapes and sizes. Place your prepared additional ingredients in the bowl and fold everything together.
Cover with plastic wrap pressing it directly against guacamole and squeezing any air pockets out. Allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour. Serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the onions in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and squeeze the lime juice on top. Toss the onions and let them sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 at room temperature.
Before adding avocados, be sure all of your additions are ready - chopped jalapenos, chopped cilantro, garlic, if using, etc.
Slice each avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh into the bowl with onions. Repeat with the remaining avocados. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Mash with a fork ensuring some parts are mashed into a smooth paste while leaving plenty of chunks of various shapes and sizes. Place your prepared additional ingredients in the bowl and fold everything together.
Cover with plastic wrap pressing it directly against guacamole and squeezing any air pockets out. Allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour. Serve.
Happens to be Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb and Gluten-Free: as with all gluten-free recipes, ensure all your ingredients are gluten free and not cross-contaminated.
