Originating in Mexico and inherited from the Aztecs thousands of years ago, guacamole conquered the planet and this is no accident. With the nutritional value and the buttery texture of the avocado, this delicious salad – dip, constantly gains fans for its coolness and freshness. And it may be one of the simplest dishes in the world, but it also has its rules and their reverent observance leads to the achievement of the goal, ie a rich, creamy, aromatic and shiny guacamole.

If you haven’t tried it until today and you are wondering what comes with it and what accompanies it, where and what it fits, I will tell you that it can be a delicious dip in itself that you will enjoy with nachos or tortillas or even on toasted bread but also in sandwiches. It’s also a very nice and nutritious breakfast with a scrambled or poached egg. It goes well with meat but also with fish which I like more because of its acidity. It is said that it’s very nice with pasta but I haven’t tried it. But guacamole also has a special place in buffets and festive tables, either as a side in platers or as a base for canapé food and all kinds of appetizers. And because nothing happens by chance, neither the bad nor the good, I give you the guacamole recipe now because next time I will give you some appetizer ideas that you can present at your festive table.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• Lime juice
• Salt

Optionally, and only if you like it, you can also add chopped coriander or sprinkle a little on top.

Preparation

Finely chop the onion and set aside. Cut the avocados in half and take off the seed. Using a spoon remove the inside and put it in a bowl.

Mash the avocado with a fork, pour the juice and stir. Tip in the onion, season with salt and stir once more.

Important tips…

• Of course, the most important ingredient is avocado. Let them ripe in room temperature until you can squeeze them. They must be soft when you cut them and with no marks on them. However, if you find any marks remove them. Prefer to use a fork or a mortar to mash the avocados. It is tastier and more interesting when it has small avocado pieces instead of being smooth like mayonnaise.
• Avocados oxidise very quick. So as soon as you put the avocado in the bowl sprinkle it with the lime juice, mash and stir. That is also the reason why you shouldn’t make a lot of it because it can’t be preserved in the fridge for a long time. Also don’t prepare it long before it is consumed. Anyway, it’s such an easy recipe that you can prepare as much as you need to have at that moment.
• As for the lime juice, you can add as much as you like, keeping in mind that guacamole needs the acidity because the avocado is buttery and reach and thick so we need to give it some freshness. Of course, the lime juice also keeps the avocado from getting brown and helps it preserve its natural bright colour. When I say natural colour I don’t mean the kiwi colour that I find in some photos on the internet due to excessive editing. In some cases, you can even see it glowing like it’s toxic waste…
• Some people might not like the pungent smell of onion combined with the delicate taste of avocado. On the other hand, some people love this contrast. If you belong to the first category, when you chop the onion, pour some salt and rub it. After that, put it in a strainer and pour water to rinse the salt. Strain it well and you can now add it to the guacamole without the pungent smell.
• In Mexico the guacamole is spicy. They add jalapenos peppers or green chilly peppers. If you like spicy food then add one of these peppers and enjoy.
• There is a big discussion about the tomato. Many think it is a basic ingredient of the authentic recipe. While others can’t even hear that. I don’t put tomato because I tried it and didn’t like it. But if you try, then make sure you take out the seeds and use only the inside of the tomato, diced in small pieces.
• Lastly, you will find many recipes with a variety of ingredients like spring onions, garlic, parsley, cumin, chilly flakes, olive oil (for God’s sake…) and many more. But all these belong to the realm of fantasy. Of course, as I said before, no one can judge your preferences so if you like any of these ingredients don’t hesitate. I am just talking about the authenticity of the recipe…

Enjoy!

Νanà…