Words Harriet Boucher, Images Ashlee DeCaires
Unpopular opinion, but I don’t like avocado. The texture, bland flavour, inconsistency of quality – why is there so much hype surrounding them? I’m the outlier on that opinion though, as millions of people couldn’t live without them.
The idea of a ‘Harriet’s How To – Guacamole’ stemmed from a heated discussion between Vicki, Denise Irvine, Fiona Hugues, and our lovely waiter at Bossi in Auckland. Turns out you avocado lovers are incredibly passionate about guacamole, but it seems like there’s no ‘perfect’ guac as everyone has their personal preferences.
Since I’m clearly not the right person to decide on the best guac, I called upon a tasting panel made up of food writer, Denise Irvine; guac connoisseur, Anna Sinclair; the boss, Vicki Ravlich Horan; and veggie guru, Gus Tissink. I asked them to share their essential traits they look for in guacamole. Denise loves a good amount of lime and coriander and it has to use really good avos. Anna loves a chunky texture and tangy notes and it has to have tomato and onion. Vic is a capsicum and garlic lover, which stems from fond guac memories from her time spent overseas. And Gus, like Denise, loves a good hit of lime as well as onion, garlic, and a chunky texture.
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is an American chef who specialises in Mexican cuisine. His recipe uses 3 avos, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of lime juice, ¼ cup of coriander, ½ a serrano or jalapeño pepper, ½ a plum tomato, and ¼ of a white onion. The avos are mashed with a potato masher, then seasoned with salt. The garlic, lime, coriander, chilli, and tomato are then mixed through. The onion is minced, then rinsed under cold water before being added into the guacamole.
The overwhelming response after the first taste of this one was that it was salty and lacking in citrus. I made a point of following the salt and lime measurements as accurately in each recipe as possible, although these are the two ingredients where you need to use your tastebuds as a guide. Rick’s guac was at a bit of a disadvantage as the avos I used were the only ones that were on the slightly over ripe side, and its well known that you can’t hide a bad avo. Denise was put off by its “burst boil” look, and just hearing that is enough to make me gag. The tomato flavour was lost, as was the small amount of rinsed onion and the avo itself. All round, it was a bit bland and was rated fourth by Denise and Gus, and third for Vicki and Anna. Had I made this with perfectly ripe avos, I think it would have been higher ranking.
Carolynn Carreno
Carolynn Carreno is a food writer based in Los Angeles whose guacamole is world famous amongst her friends. It’s a five-ingredient recipe consisting of 4 serrano chillies, rock salt, ⅛ of a white onion, 4 avocados, and 1–2 key limes. Carolynn uses an authentic molcajete, which we would call a mortar and pestle, to turn the small amount of onion, rock salt, and the chillies into a ‘slimy paste’. The avocados and lime juice are then pounded until combined with the paste, along with more salt. She says, “Taste it again, adjust the seasoning, and just when you think it’s perfect, add some more salt and serve.”
I don’t feel like it’s fair on Carolynn for me to have used this recipe in the line-up. The average New Zealander can’t easily get their hands on serrano chillies, white onions, or key limes, so I substituted these ingredients for pickled jalapeños, red onion, and pouch lime juice because at the time, I didn’t have access to fresh limes.
Everyone instantly commented that this recipe was saltier than Rick’s, so it seems like I took Carolynn’s salt advice too far. It had a good heat to it, but it distracted from the avocado and, once again, was lacking in citrus. Vicki said this one had a “banana” aftertaste, and Anna thought it was “one dimensional”, so this was clearly not their favourite and it was their fourth pick. Gus and Denise ranked this second, but they still wouldn’t make this one at home. I’d love to try this guac with the authentic ingredients because with a dish so simple, ingredient quality is key.
Martha Stewart
I wanted to try a guac that had sour cream in it, so I picked Martha Stewart’s Creamy Avocado Dip. This recipe combines 2 avos, 1 cup of sour cream, ½ cup coriander, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 jalapeño, and ½ tsp coarse salt in a food processor and it’s blitzed until smooth.
Initially, Denise was loving the creaminess of this until the fatty, coat-your-mouth feel took over. It tasted a bit like a processed dip you would buy from the supermarket, and no one was a fan of the smooth texture. It has a good jalapeño kick to it but once again, the 1 tbsp of lime juice wasn’t enough. This dip would be perfect on nachos, wraps, or to serve to kids, but it doesn’t cut it as a guacamole to serve with chips. Denise and Gus had this ranked third and it came in second for Vicki and Anna.
Nigella Lawson
Initially, I had a completely different recipe in mind for my fourth option, but Denise insisted that this is the one and only guacamole recipe she makes and it should be tested amongst the panel. Nigella’s recipe uses 3 “properly ripe” avocados, the juice of 3–4 limes, 4 tbsp of coriander, scant teaspoon of salt, 4 finely sliced spring onions, and ½–1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped. The salt is dissolved in the lime juice, then the avocado is mashed with a fork before having all ingredients stirred into it.
This guac had a stunning vibrant green colour and it stayed that way the whole time it sat on the table. Martha’s guacamole was a pale green because of the sour cream, but Carolynn and Rick’s progressively browned as they sat out. This was the unanimous favourite. The highlights were the chunky texture and good amount of salt. The spring onion added an element of freshness and texture without it being as intense as chunks of raw red or brown onion. I used 1 tbsp of lime juice per “juice of a lime”, and for the fourth time in a row, it needed more lime. The chilli and coriander weren’t prominent in the flavour but everyone agreed that more spice would ruin it.
I tasted every recipe and was almost convinced that avocado could be a part of my diet, but I haven’t eaten one since that day. After trying the series of guacs, it’s evident that lime juice is the key ingredient in a good guac. The final recipe is based off Nigella’s, while trying to cater to the tasting panels’ preferences and availability of ingredients. The use of the mortar and pestle created the best textured guac and it’s the traditional equipment to use, so I have incorporated that into my recipe as well.
Guacamole
Whether you’re dipping corn chips, filling tacos, or topping nachos, this guac won’t fail you. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use a fork to smash the avos, finely crush the garlic and jalapeños, then stir it all together.
1 plump clove of garlic
4 slices of jalapeños (we used the pre-sliced ones from a jar)
2 perfectly ripe avocados (use 3 if they’re small)
1 large spring onion, finely sliced
small handful of coriander, finely chopped
3–4 tbsp fresh lime juice
In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and jalapeños together to form a paste. Once smooth, add in the avocados and smash until combined with the paste, leaving the texture slightly chunky.
Stir in the spring onion, coriander, and 3 tbsp of lime juice, then taste. Add in the remaining lime juice and a pinch of salt if needed. Don’t be afraid to add salt, but be aware that the jalapeño brine adds saltiness, so don’t add it until you’ve tasted it.
