Guacamole
Serves 4 to 6
Guacamole is best prepared just before serving. If you are making it in advance, place the pits in the dish with the guacamole, which will help keep it from turning dark. (Or chop and blend everything except the avocado in advance, then stir in the avocado when you’re ready to serve.) Nowadays, in many trendy Southwestern or Mexican restaurants, guacamole is prepared at the table with a molcajete y tejolete.
- 1 medium, ripe tomato
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 2 or 3 large serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 2 ripe Haas avocados
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Handful of cilantro leaves, roughly torn
- Salt
- Seed and core the tomato and cut it into small dice. Peel the onion and garlic and mince them. Put them in the mortar with the chiles and crush them lightly.
- Peel, halve, and pit the avocados and add them to the mortar. Drizzle in the lime juice. Add the cilantro and use the pestle to mash the avocado and cilantro with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt to taste and add a little more lime juice if necessary.
