My first guacamole experience was straight out of a jar that came free with a bag of potato chips. I loved the guacamole so much not knowing that it was made from avocados, a fruit that I had very little affinity with. An avocado tree grew in my grandmother’s garden when I was a child, everyone eagerly awaited for the fruits to turn ripe for picking except me. Well, that first introduction to guacamole was so memorable that I am now growing an avocado tree in my garden.
Guacamole is essentially an avocado-based salsa or dip, depending on whether the guacamole is chunky or smooth. I used to think that jarred guacamole was good but, I tell you, homemade guacamole made with the freshest ingredients is unbeatable. I like my guacamole to be somewhere between chunky and smooth and I like to serve it as a dip for tortilla chips. Last night the chips and guacamole were an accompaniment to a bottle of Agua d’Or which we thought was a dessert wine but which which turned out to be something like brandy.
It is very easy to make guacamole, no special tools are required but it is essential that you have the right ingredients. To make about three-quarter cup of guacamole, you need:
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado (mine was as large as my hand)
1 tomato
1 red onion
chilies (I used two bird’s eye chilies but you can use other varieties)
juice from half a lime
about 2 tbsps. of roughly chopped cilantro
rock salt
Slit the avocado horizontally. When your knife kits the stone inside, turn the avocado around as you cut so that you are cutting around the stone. In short, the slit which goes all the way to the stone should go around the avocado as well so that you have two halves that are still connected by the stone. Twist the two halves to expose the stone. Remove the stone Scrape off the fibrous center when the stone is. Scoop out the avocado flesh and into a bowl. Mash lightly with a fork.
Halve the tomato. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Roughly chop the flesh.
Peel and chop the red onion.
Finely slice the chilies.
Add the tomato, onion, chilies, and cilantro to the avocado in the bowl.
Squeeze the lime into the bowl. Add some rock salt. Stir gently until blended. You now have your guacamole. Serve as a dip as a spread or however you like it.
