Lucinda's Guacamole
Makes 2 cups
Store-bought guacamole mystifies me. Why buy something that simply requires mashing up a few items? And the homemade version is so much better. There are many riffs on guacamole these days, with various vegetables, fruits, or smoked chorizo added to personalize and differentiate them. But my old-school preference is for this version: it was the first Mexican recipe I learned. My early training in Mexican cooking came from Diana Kennedy, an absolute purist author-teacher of authentic regional Mexican food.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 2 Serrano chiles, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ripe Hass avocados
- 1 small tomato, chopped
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, mix together the onion, chiles, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and salt.
- Crush the avocados into the onion mixture, leaving the mixture chunky.
- Fold in the tomatoes. Sprinkle over remaining cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips or other toasty corn product.
cook's note
AVOCADOS
Perfectly ripe avocados are the key to this recipe, so you will probably have to plan ahead. Either find where to buy avocados that are cared for by a produce manager who knows how to keep ripe ones at the ready, or buy them in advance and let them ripen on your counter. Put the avocados in a paper bag or wrap in newspaper to mature—a process that will be hastened by snuggling an apple or tomato next to them. Check them every day, and don’t let them get overripe.
Perfectly ripe avocados are the key to this recipe, so you will probably have to plan ahead. Either find where to buy avocados that are cared for by a produce manager who knows how to keep ripe ones at the ready, or buy them in advance and let them ripen on your counter. Put the avocados in a paper bag or wrap in newspaper to mature—a process that will be hastened by snuggling an apple or tomato next to them. Check them every day, and don’t let them get overripe.
pantry
Need help with the ingredients? Check our pantry list: