Spicy Guacamole

*Post by Mark.

When it comes to entertaining guests, usually I step aside (or am shoved aside) to allow Angela the creative space to play hostess. But there is one dish for which Angela will always defer to my 'expertise'. That dish is guacamole- a dip that, when made properly, I can count the things I'd rather eat on only one hand. 

Much to my delight, moving to California has made shopping for guacamole ingredients even easier. I was ecstatic to discover that the price for a Haas avocado is roughly half what I'd have paid back east. Here's the rest of the ingredients we'll need to make the guac - and to make it with a little extra kick:

• 5 Avocados
• 2 Tbs Sour Cream
• 3 Roma Tomatoes
• 1/2 Onion (I use Yellow, but only because Angela hates Red)
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers
• Cilantro
• Sriracha
• Kosher Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Chili Powder
• 1 Lime or Lime Juice

Start by cutting up the avocados and mashing them up in a bowl (above). Add a spoonful of sour cream (below). Keep in mind that a little bit goes a long, long way. I like that it makes the guacamole a little creamier, but it can turn too creamy very quickly if you use even a little too much, and we'd much rather let the taste of all our fresh ingredients shine.

This is actually a step I do earlier to save time: I diced up some jalapenos (below, left), the onion and a little red bell pepper and set that mixture (below, right) aside. Because the avocados turn brown so quickly, I always make sure that I'm cutting into them relatively close to when I'll be serving the dip. Due to this short window, I sometimes like to have all the other ingredients chopped and ready to go.

I also chopped up my roma tomatoes (below, left). Roma tomatoes are a good fit because of their firmness. They don't turn into a gooey mess when you start to dice them up, and they provide a little chunkiness to the dip. I recently tried out Campari tomatoes successfully. They're a little richer and juicier and more flavorful, but also more expensive.

Chop up some fresh cilantro and throw it in (below). 

If you were to taste the guacamole right now, you'd find it pretty bland. To add flavor, I start with some salt and garlic powder. Chili powder, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes start to give it some kick (in addition to the sliced jalapeno peppers we already threw in). Depending how hot you're looking to go, you can then squeeze in some sriracha (any hot sauce you have laying around will also do the trick). I like my guacamole really hot. To finish it off, squeeze in some fresh lime juice. Look at all the ingredients down there, posing like they're in a family portrait (below).

Now that the dip is done (below), it's ready to be served. I typically split it into two bowls, and serve one first keeping the second in the fridge as a reserve. Avocados contain a particular enyzme that makes them especially prone to oxidation (browning) when exposed to oxygen. Because this browning may begin after as little as an hour or two, I like to have back-ups at the ready rather than expose the entire batch to the open air. The key to keeping that second batch from browning is keeping it refrigerated and more importantly keeping it away from the air. 

There's an old belief that putting the pit of the avocado into the dip will prolong browning. This is true to a degree, but not based on any reasons specific to the pit. The pit simply prevents a portion of the dip from direct exposure to the air. To improve on this method, forget the pits and cover the dip with plastic wrap. The trick is that instead of covering the rim of the bowl, you want to push the wrap down so it's touching every surface of the guacamole. The key is preventing the dip from contacting oxygen for as long as possible.

The one other thing that slows the process of browning is adding something acidic. Lucky for us, that lime juice we squeezed in earlier is not only making it taste fresh and delicious, but also buying us much needed time.

The final product is always a hit... and helps establish my relevance in the kitchen. At least for now. 

Comments

[Debb]

I love guac! So now I have the secret of creamy AND spice. Hoorays, thanks for sharing!

[Angela]

Strange. Creamy and spicy are two words I would use to describe Mark's personality...

[Debb]

giggles