Fresh guacamole

Method

1. Put chile, onion, and salt in a molcajete or wide bowl. Crush with the pestle or the back of a sturdy spoon until the onion releases juice and a coarse aromatic paste forms.
2. Add avocado flesh and mash only about two thirds of it. Leave clear 1 to 2 cm pieces rather than making a smooth purée.
3. Fold in the well-drained tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste immediately and adjust salt or chile without overmixing.
4. Serve at once, or press reusable food wrap directly against the entire surface and refrigerate. Lime adds flavor but does not reliably prevent browning.

Ingredient substitutions

• Serrano is sharper and hotter. Jalapeño is a milder direct substitute and is usually easier to find in Germany; both are widely available in Canada. Begin with 10 g and add more only after tasting.
• Fresh lemon juice can replace lime in Germany or Canada at the same amount, but tastes brighter and less floral. Bottled citrus juice is flatter and may be more acidic.
• If fresh cilantro is disliked or unavailable, omit it. Parsley is grassy in a different way and is not an equivalent substitute.
• Avocado size varies considerably in both countries. Use 400 g prepared flesh rather than relying on the count of three.

Notes

• Keep prepared guacamole at 4°C or below and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Use within 1 day. Discard it if it develops an off smell, bubbling, or extensive sliminess.
• Direct surface contact limits oxygen better than leaving an avocado pit in the bowl. The pit protects only the spot it touches.
• Do not freeze this finished guacamole; tomato and onion release water and the texture becomes pasty after thawing.

Sources consulted

• México en Mi Cocina: Guacamole Casero
• Los Angeles Times: Guacamole

Good with

• Beef burrito wraps
• Elote and esquites two ways
• Steffi and Christoph's chicken fajita wraps

From Christoph Mayer

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