Holy Guacamole!

Name: Holy Guacamole!
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 medium ripe haas avocados; 1 tomato; 1/4 jalapeno peppers; 1/4 shallots; 1 medium garlic clove; 1 tsp coarse sea salt; 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper; 1/2 fresh lime; 2 sprig(s) fresh cilantro

By Jacinda Santiago
@knittyqueen

I've spent years perfecting my guacamole. It's always a hit at parties. I feel shallots complement the avocado more than onions. Also, mashing the shallots, jalapeno, and garlic with rock salt brings out their juices and oils and it infuses the guacamole nicely. I've been asked how you can tell if an avocado is ripe. I say make a fist and press into the flesh between your thumb and index finger. That's what an avocado should feel like if it's perfectly ripe. Any harder and it needs a few days to ripen. If it's really hard, it may never ripen.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This guacamole recipe is simple and reminds us of the Mexican restaurants that prepare fresh guacamole at the table. The fresh mixture of shallots, garlic, and jalapeno ground in the mortar and pestle with salt really give a pop of flavor to the guacamole. Fresh lime juice pulls the everything together and helps to balance the flavors. Get the bag of tortilla chips out and dig in! The Test Kitchen

Rating:

★★★★★ 2 votes5

Comments:

10 Comments

Serves:

Prep:

20 Min

Method:

No-Cook or Other

Ingredients

2 medium

ripe haas avocados
1

tomato
1/4

jalapeno peppers
1/4

shallots
1 medium

garlic clove
1 tsp

coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp

fresh ground pepper
1/2

fresh lime
2 sprig(s)

fresh cilantro
Add Ingredients to Grocery List

How to Make Holy Guacamole!

Step-by-Step

Finely dice the garlic clove, shallot, and jalapeno.

NOTE: You can increase or decrease the amount of heat by adding or reducing the amount of jalapeno.
Place the three ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Add coarse salt and crush until a pulp. You will see the juices of the pepper, shallot, and garlic come out. Set aside.
Dice the tomatoes. If using a juicy type of tomato (like on the vine or plum) remove some of the seeds and pulp to prevent the guacamole from becoming too watery. Place diced tomatoes in a bowl.
Divide the avocados in half. Remove the pit and scoop out the pulp with a spoon and place in a bowl. Move quickly to the next step to prevent browning.
TIP: To easily remove the pit, give it a whack with the sharp end of a large knife and twist. It will pop right out!
Squeeze the lime over the avocados. It's OK to get a small amount of lime pulp in there.
Add the crushed mixture and freshly cracked pepper.
Roll the cilantro up and cut with kitchen shears. Stems and all. Sprinkle over the guacamole.
Take a fork or potato masher and give it a quick mash to mix everything together. Taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or lime juice to taste.