DAMN GOOD GUACAMOLE
There are lots of ways to make guacamole. Simple or robust, I’m beginning to gather that people are very picky about their guacamole. I myself like my guac chock full of ingredients; layers of flavours. One bowl, one dip: guacamole and salsa, a mergence of flavours that we all know belong together anyways.
A good guacamole will captivate your tongue with it’s brazen, creamily textured delightfulness and immediately have you salivating for more. It will beg for a worthy vehicle and cry out for a (in the very least), premium glass of wine or beer. It is in fact, the quintessential, perfect party food.
Or a lunchtime addition. Or a toddler snack. As it is known to be these things and many more around these here parts.
- 4 ripe avocados
- 1 red onion, minced (about 1 cup)
- I head of garlic, minced (about 4 tablespoons)
- 2 jalepeno peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced (less or none if you're feeding toddlers or picky kids, although spice is good for them, just sayin'!)
- 1 cup minced red and yellow pepper
- 1¼ cup diced (small cubes) mini heirloom tomatoes (if possible), although any will do, I mean, I guess…
- 1 big bunch of cilantro (leaves and stems), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chill oil + a drizzle for garnish (see easy DIY below, again omit if you or someone else doesn't like heat, but it SO WON'T TASTE AS GOOD)
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Herbamare
- Generous grinding of freshly black pepper
- The work is in the prep. The washing, the cutting and the mincing. Once you've finished that, all you have to do is pile everything into one big bowl and gently marry with a potato masher. You don't want to get to crazy with the mashing, muddling the flavours while still leaving things nicely chunky and textured is what you're going for here.
- This is indeed a garlic and cilantro lovers guacamole. If you don't like either of those things then you don't really like guac, do you? Don't start talking to me about basil guacamole, psh! Serve with your favourite vehicle of choice, we're digging falafel chips these days, or as a topping for fish, veggie or chicken 'flour-less' tacos, with romaine lettuce leaves as the 'shells!'
- 2 cups organic olive oil
- 6-10 whole, dried Japanese red chilies (or Thai, whatever you hot pepper you like, really)
- Air tight containers (mason jars or oil jars)
- Cast iron pan
- You can buy dried red chilies at your local grocery store, we happened to plant a bunch last season and harvested a wealth of them with the intention of reserving homemade chili oils for Christmas gifts, (which we did, as you'll see from the volume of chilies in the pictures).
- Heat 6 tablespoons of your olive oil over medium heat and add the chilies, stirring and cooking until they begin to sizzle. (About 1 minute.)
- Add the rest of the oil to the cast iron pan and heat till warmed through. Don't over-cook the chilies, brown is not the colour you want.
- Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Add 3-4 chilies per jar.
- Pour the chili infused oil (and chilies), into a big measuring cup and use a funnel to distribute the oil to your vessels of choice.
- You can use it right away, you'll find it has a mild heat. Storing it in a cool dry place for up to 6 weeks, however, will give you a wonderful, sexy-hot chili oil, perfect for the above guacamole recipe and drizzling on top of all sorts of creamy soups, or brothy soups. It's obviously amazing with antipasto platters, warm breads, cheeses and other dips. You can drizzle this action on pretty much anything you want, the flavour is off the hook!
That’s it you guys. Of course you can buy chili oil at a good grocery store…I’m just rather fond of how easy this oil is to make yourself at a fraction of the cost! In the interest of this scrumptious guacamole…
That goes perfectly with quality beer and cute toddlers. Did I say that part already?
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