Recipe(tried): About Guacamole - what's authentic

Recipes for Guacamole are all over the place. Many people think they're making an authentic guac, when they really are not. Good, authentic guac is pretty to look at, but most importantly, it is so aromatic you can smell it across the room! Bland guac isn't guac at all.

I've lived in Mexico for 12 years. We're truly lucky here, because avocados are available year-round and are not expensive. We can make guac often and serve it up in large portions. Never have I seen guacamole which contained mayonnaise, as so many recipes on the Web prescribe. When I've asked Mexicans about putting mayo in guac, they wrinkle their noses. Authentic guac is best, not because it's traditional, but because it simply cannot be improved on. If you want truly authentic guac, keep reading.

Here's what goes into it:
Avocado
Onion
Tomato (the plum or "Roma" variety best - less juice; you don't want "juicy" guac.)
Lime juice (fresh only, not lemon or orange)
Garlic
Cilantro
Hot chiles (serranos are classical, but many, like me, prefer pickled jalapenos. I find the jalapeno has a nicer flavor and is less hot, too.)
Salt, to taste, if needed - taste first.
All ingredients are in quantities "to taste." I always start by gauging how much good avocado meat I'm going to get. You can't always be certain till you've opened them up. Then I adjust the other quantities to that.

That's it. Nothing else, and particularly NEVER mayonnaise.

If you're making a guacamole dip or something, feel free to add the mayo, but it's not true guac. Mayo tends to dampen down the flavors and aroma. If I were making a dip and wanted creaminess, I'd use sour cream - or cream cheese thinned with milk instead, and then make the guac stronger flavored than usual. But there's no need! Guac is "dippable" just as it is, except for thin potato chips, which, for guac, are vastly inferior to tostadas.

Do not use commercial natcho chips or fritos. If you can't buy simple tostadas, make your own. Buy corn tortillas. Stack them and cut into four pie-shaped pieces. Slip these, a few at a time, into just enough hot oil to cover them, until they're browned and crisp, but don't fry more than that. Drain on paper towels. Fresh-made tostadas are always best. When served, still warm, with guac...oh, boy!

Here's the best way to "open" an avocado. Make a cut with a sharp knife at the top end, down to the seed. Holding it there next to the seed, rotate the fruit until you have cut completely around it from end to end. "Unscrew" the two pieces. Throw the knife edge (carefully!) into the seed and give it a twist. The seed comes out, stuck on the blade. Save it, but do NOT take it off the knife with your hands, or you'll get cut. It's slippery. Scrape it off on the rim of a bowl, the edge of the sink, or something. Now scoop out the interior, getting as much of the bright green next to the skin as possible. Remove any genuinely discolored parts. Most minor discolorations are merely unsightly, but won't hurt to eat them. After the guacamole is finished, embed the seeds in it. The seeds, plus the citrus juice, help prevent blackening. Take them out to serve, and replace if there are leftovers. Cover leftovers with saran or other paper, never foil, which will dissolve from the acid. Some people smooth the surface and squeeze lime juice over it, enough to coat the top surface. You can pour it off before serving, but your guac will still have more juice, perhaps more than you would want. Guac should be eaten the day it's made, or at the latest the next. Usually the citrus juice, the seeds and a saran or paper cover are enough to keep it nice till the next day. Lay it flat on top of the mixture, to keep air away.

If you want to make guac, but not for a few days, buy the hardest ones you can find. Wrap in newspaper and keep in a dark, cool place, and check daily for ripeness. They'll usually ripen in 3-5 days. If you want to make it today or tomorrow, buy them already at optimum ripeness.

As for the types of avocados, any kind is good, as long as it is in good condition and matured to the proper level - gives when pressed, but not squishy - like a good peach would be. The brand name is only hype. You can use thick-skinned or thin green skinned - the taste is virtually the same. We even have a variety in Mexico with a purple skin which is entirely edible. It can be eaten, like a pear, out of the hand. Who grew it only matters insofar as getting it to your table in good shape.

When you handle hot chiles, always promptly wash your utensils and hands in abundant soap - more than once, if you've been handling the chiles for some time. If you don't, and touch your face, it'll make you feel like you have a sunburn. And if you should touch your eyes... Got the drift? Depending on how chiloso (hot) you want the dish, remove or include the seeds and ribs. Keep in mind who will be eating the dish, and adjust the chiles to the lowest level of tolerance among them. Sometimes, if kids will eat it, I'll only add a spoonful or two of the jalapeno juice - enough to impart its lovely flavor without being too volcanic. That gives only a hint of the heat. People can always add more at the table. So taste as you mix, and it's probably best to add the chiles last, so you can do this properly.

Onions are usually the white kind, but use your preference. Garlic should be fresh, smashed, peeled, smashed again and minced fine. Cilantro should be very fresh and perky, and should also be minced. Mincing it can be a problem, with those leaves and all. Here's the best way: After washing, fold a very small bunch in half (a little goes a long way), then fold it again. Hold the bunch tightly as you chop the bundle in narrow slices. Little more mincing will be required after that. Stems are just as tasty and nutritious as the leaves, but cut off and discard any stem part that was in touch with the soil. Cilantro (sometimes called Chinese Parsley) is an important ingredient, adding immeasurably to the aromatic nature of this dish. Omit it only if you detest it or can't get any. Your guac will be the worse for it, though. Taste as you add it, so you won't overdo the quantity.

NEVER use bottled citrus juice, and never use orange. Lemon is only acceptable if you have no limes. This is a very aromatic dish, and limes are more aromatic than lemons. Mexicans don't even use them - I was in Mexico for ten years before I saw my first lemon for sale, in a store that caters to foreign residents. They only use limes.

As for quantities, you can really suit yourself. Some like lots of onion or tomato, while others prefer mostly avocado. It doesn't matter. Guac is a VERY aromatic dish, and as long as that's what you've just made, you did it right. You can choose to cut onions and tomatoes tiny or large, to suit your preferences. Some like the avocado virtually pureed, while others prefer maximum chunkiness. Again, it's up to you. The amount of lime juice can vary, too. It is the main ingredient which impedes blackening, and there must be some. Some people like it very citirus-y, while others prefer only a small amount. Suit yourself. Usually only one large clove of garlic is enough, unless you're making a lot. I've had guac with no garlic, usually because there was none available or someone who would eat it didn't like it. If I have none fresh, I'll use granulated garlic, rather than omit it. It'll be the worse for garlic's absence, though. The onion, citrus juice, garlic and cilantro give it that classic aroma. You really can't make gonzo guac without them. You can omit the chiles, too, but at least a tiny amount is usually added, and gives all the other flavors more "oomph." Chile peppers enhance other flavors, almost as much as salt does; so does the lime juice.

Guac is always served with tostadas, some of which, in pieces, are embedded in the mixture at serving time, with more on the side. Some jalapenos on the side is also nice.

Salt can be added, either to the mixture or at the table. I'd let people add their own.

If you want it more substantial, or embellished, you can certainly add some chopped shrimp or other shellfish. Chunks of cooked chicken are nice, too. I'd serve them on the side, but you don't have to.

If you've never tried it, you might enjoy making a "taquito" out of avocado, cooked chicken meat and salsa piquante on a heated (delicately browned on both sides in a dry, hot pan - don't overcook! Remove when they begin to puff.) flour tortilla. Chicken and avocado flavors adore each other. If you omit the salsa, add some finely chopped onion and tomato, with a touch of jalapenos and cilantro - whichever of these you have on hand. Citrus juice is not needed, but you can put a bit on each taquito if you like.

Another way I've often enjoyed avocados is extremely simple: Open it, remove the seed, sprinkle with salt and coarse-ground black pepper and eat it out of the shell with a spoon. Delicious.

Enjoy your true Mexican guac!