Authentic Guacamole

Where This Goes Wrong

A ripe Hass yields to gentle pressure at the stem end and the stub peels off to reveal green, not brown.

The avocado stone does not stop browning. Pressing cling film directly onto the surface does.

For a smoky version, char the chilli and tomato over a flame before chopping.

How to Make Authentic Guacamole

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1. Put half the onion, the chilli, half the coriander and the salt in a molcajete or bowl and grind or mash into a rough green paste. This is where the flavour is built.

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2. Halve the avocados, remove the stones, and score the flesh in a grid before scooping it out with a spoon.

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3. Add the avocado and mash coarsely with a fork or the pestle, leaving plenty of chunks — guacamole should never be a purée.

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4. Fold in the lime juice, then the remaining onion, coriander and the diced tomato.

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5. Taste and adjust for salt and lime. It should taste slightly over-seasoned on a spoon, because tortilla chips dilute it.

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6. Serve within 30 minutes, in the molcajete if you have one.

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Why It Works

Grinding the onion, chilli, coriander and salt into a paste before the avocado goes in extracts their aromatic oils and distributes them evenly, so every bite is seasoned rather than intermittently spicy. Lime does more than flavour: its acid slows the enzymatic browning that turns cut avocado grey.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

Best within an hour. Keeps 1 day with cling film pressed onto the surface and an extra squeeze of lime.

Changing the Recipe

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Good With

• A margarita or an ice-cold lager
• Serve with totopos, tacos, or grilled meat
• Excellent alongside huevos rancheros

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (most of the energy comes from foods with no recorded source). Why some recipes have none.

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