Why do I say “upgraded” and “non-traditional”? Traditional guacamole, as first described in English by a British pirate named William Dampier is avocado “mixed with sugar and lime juice and beaten together [on] a plate.”
That was back in the 1600s and as the love for guacamole spread around the world, tweaks and variations accompanied the simple dish.
Whether or not you’re making guacamole the traditional or non-traditional way, it is essential that you use perfectly ripe avocados. That means the flesh is soft to the point of mushiness but must be free from brown spots or streaks.
Avocados: how to tell if they are ripe and how to hasten ripening
I’m not a fan of store-bought guacamole. I like to make guacamole from scratch. It’s really very easy to make. The hardest part is making sure that the avocados are perfectly ripe but not overripe.
That’s a link to a post that should be helpful in choosing the avocados that will go into your guacamole.
Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 medium ripe avocados - or 3 small
- 3 ripe and juicy tomatoes
- 2 red onions
- 2 to 3 bird’s eye chilies
- ½ teaspoon grated garlic
- juice of 1 ½ limes or lemons
- salt - to taste
- cracked black pepper - to taste
- chopped cilantro - as much or as little as you like
Instructions
- Roast the bell peppers either by placing it directly on the gas stove or over glowing charcoal until the skins are blackened.
- Transfer the hot bell peppers into a resealable bag until cool and the skins can be peeled off easily.
- Scoop out the avocado flesh, roughly chop and place in a mixing bowl.
- Halve the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds and discard, roughly chop the flesh and add to the avocado.
- Peel and roughly chop the red onions; add to the avocado and tomatoes.
- Finely slice the bird’s eye chilies.
- Add the roasted peppers and chilies to everything else in the bowl.
- Throw in the garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper.
- Squeeze in the lime or lemon juice. Stir lightly just until blended.
- Spoon into bowls, top with torn cilantro leaves and serve with tortilla chips or plain crackers.
