Who doesn’t love a bowl of chunky homemade guacamole? None of that smooth as silk, pervasively preserved, supermarket stuff, but rather, one that’s just-made, using ripe avocados and, ideally, paired with some freshly fried tortilla chips for the perfect taco night or just a simple, roadside snack.
There really is nothing better… Pass the Modelo and all that.
But how to make a truly delicious version from the comfort of home? Well, the good news is that it’s not too difficult, and to celebrate September 16th’s National Guacamole Day in collaboration with the World Avocado Organisation, chef Edson Diaz-Fuentes has shared his ultimate guacamole recipe with us.
Edson is the founder of the critically acclaimed restaurant Santo Remedio, one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city and also featuring on our rundown of where to eat in London Bridge and Borough.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Edson has been fascinated by food since childhood, whether he was watching his grandmother cook at home or tucking into a taco at one of the city’s many taquerías (Mexico City boasts over 18,000 of them).
Edson travelled, cooked and honed his craft in New York, London and Oaxaca City, Mexico, before heading back to the UK capital and setting up Santo Remedio in 2015. The concept began as a food stall and evolved into a critically acclaimed restaurant in London Bridge, with a second location opening recently in Shoreditch.
How Do You Make The Perfect Guacamole?
“How do you make the perfect guacamole?” is a question Edson Diaz-Fuentes has been asked countless times. According to the Mexican-born chef and founder of the London restaurant Santo Remedio, it’s all about the avocados themselves.
A good quality, perfectly ripe avocado needs only to be gently combined with a handful of ingredients to make delicious guacamole.
The Ingredients
Aside from the star ingredient, avocado, the key elements to Edson’s guacamole are onions, lime, tomato, coriander, chilli and salt.
According to Edson, “In Mexico, guacamole is usually made with white onions, but here I prefer to use red because they are slightly sweeter, similar to white ones we use in Mexico”.
The lime juice brings a fresh zinginess and tones down the strength of the onions. “In Mexico, we use the word desflemar to describe the action of adding citrus juices to vegetables or chillies to reduce their acidity or spice level”.
The lime juice also slows the oxidation of the avocado pulp, stopping it from turning brown. Of course, if you’re going for a more simple guacamole rendition (some believe it should be just mashed avocado), then you can keep your guac from going brown using the stone of the fruit. As Edson explains, “Mexican grandmas traditionally leave the avocado stones in the guacamole to prevent oxidation”.
The coriander adds a sweet fragrant flavour and serrano or jalapeño chillies give your dip a good kick. What’s not to love?
As with any national dish, there are debates across the country about which ingredients should be included and what recipe is truly traditional. There is, of course, some argument to whether you should add tomatoes in your guacamole. However, if it works for Edson it works for us.
As Chef Rick Martinez explains in Bon Appétit, tomato “is sometimes added to stretch a batch, add acidity, and avoid having to make a batch of pico de gallo along with the guac”.
Why you’d want to avoid having a bowl of pico de gallo on your table is another matter!
The Method
Unlike shop-bought purée-style guacamole, Edson’s recipe is all about being gentle with the avocado, not over-mashing it, so it stays firm and chunky, and retains its sauve character. Marinating the onions in the lime juice and salting the tomatoes to remove the excess water will remove that up-front rawness from the ingredients and enhance the flavours of the guacamole even more.
The Recipe
This guacamole features in Edson’s book, Ciudad de México: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Mexico City, which is jam-packed with sumptuous dishes and drinks such as Baja Style Fish Tacos, Smoky Cauliflower with Pipián Blanco and Margaritas de Jamaica.
Ingredients – Serves 4
¼ red onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
15g coriander, finely chopped
1 green serrano or jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)
Fine sea salt
Method
- Place the onion in a bowl and pour over half the lime juice. Set aside.
- Place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Mix well, then pour the tomatoes into a sieve placed over another bowl. The salt will enhance their flavour and also cause them to release a watery juice.
- Place the avocado flesh in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the lime juice. Use a fork to crush the avocado until it is mashed, but still firm and chunky – you don’t want it to become pureed or watery. Drain the onions and add them to the bowl, along with the drained tomatoes and coriander. Use a spatula to fold the mixture gently together without mashing the avocado further.
- Add the chopped chilli to taste and adjust the seasoning. That’s it. There’s nothing else to add – except maybe the avocado stone!
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Guacamole
Now you know how to make a great guacamole, here’s how not to do it…
- Avoid choosing an under or over ripe avocado. You can tell if it’s ripe by squeezing the fruit gently. It should yield just a little, but certainly not feel mushy.
- Colour is also a useful determinant of whether or not your avocado is guac-ready. The flesh should be on the darker side of green, rather than a light, almost yellow shade.
- You can also check an avocado’s ripeness by peeling off the cap at the tip of the avocado. It should reveal a green hue. If the cap doesn’t peel off easily, it’s not ready. And if you’re met with brown, it’s likely to be several shades darker inside, which isn’t a good thing.
- You should also avoid going too heavy on the lime, salt or any additional ingredients in your guacamole. This thing is about celebrating the avocado, after all.
- Ideally, you’ll want to make your guacamole just before serving, to preserve its freshness and colour. Making guac well in advance will only lead to oxidation, and a loss of character and structure.
- Whatever you do, do not add cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise.
Now if that’s got you in the mood for tacos, head over to our article on: 5 of the best places to eat great Mexican food in London