As lovers of mexican food, a good guacamole is a staple side dish and topping in our house. It's so easy to come together and as long as you store it properly it can be made in advance when you've got fifteen minutes spare during the day.
There are hundreds of guacamole recipes out there, all varying slightly in ingredients and in levels of citrus or consistency. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to make it but for me this recipe is the perfect balance for what I like in a guacamole, and that's a lot of lime to balance to the salt, a little sweetness which comes from spring onions, and a good heap of coriander. If you've never made guacamole from scratch, you will not believe how easy this is, and you'll never go shop bought again... Use this as a base and if you don't think it's quite right for your tastes, tweak it gradually, you'll find the perfect balance that works for you. Some people also like to add tomato or green chilli. For me, the simpler version wins out.
INGREDIENTS (Fills one small container)
2 Avocados - Look for one's that have a little give. If it's too hard you won't be able to smash it, too soft and it'll be going brown.
1 large or 2 small spring onions, finely sliced
Salt
1 lime
Fresh coriander - finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the avocados. The easiest way to do this is to slice them down the middle, carefully remove the stone by tapping it with a large knife and gently turning it (or if you're more nervous with knives you can use a spoon to scoop it), then peel and dice them. Put the chopped avocados in a bowl and roughly mash them with a fork. Don't overdo it as it's nice to still have some texture to it.
Add in the remaining ingredients: the juice of a lime, a generous pinch of salt (you will likely need more), the finely diced spring onion and a tablespoon of chopped coriander.
Mix thoroughly and give it a try. If it needs more of anything then add to it gradually. I usually find that a little more salt is the key to landing on the perfect balance of flavour. And that's it. It's ready to serve straight away!
If the guacamole is being used as a dip then I love serving it with tortilla chips as you would tex mex style. I also use as a topping on fajitas, burritos or as a coolant on a chilli and have been known to slather it in a piece of toast with a slice of bacon on top. Trust me it works.
I find guacamole tends to be at its best at room temperature so if you're preparing it in advance then take it out of the fridge ten minutes before you're planning to eat it. If you're storing it in the fridge, it must be kept in an air tight container. I'd also recommend covering it with a layer of clingfilm pressed right against the guacamole. This stops air getting to it and turning the avocado brown.
As ever if you give this one a try, don't forget to snap a picture and tag me on instagram or twitter. Enjoy!