I was once invited to a potluck dinner that was the culinary equivalent of a bad ’70s disco party. The guests were asked to bring a version of their least-treasured family recipe. Some brought their mother’s take on green-bean casserole; there were a few chewy, leaden desserts made with Marshmallow Fluff or Rice Krispies; there were ingenious deep fried mac-and-cheese balls (served with ketchup, of course).
But the winner, if you could call it that, was one guest’s version of what he called White Trash Guacamole. We all looked at it, and tasted it and agreed that it was uniquely disgusting. It had an unhealthy pastel color and a strange greasy texture which came from, of all things, mayonnaise.
Since that night, I’ve come to realize that there are two schools of thought when it comes to making guacamole. There is the school that believes guacamole should mildly enhance the creamy, subtle character of the avocado. And there is another school, of which the guest at the party was perhaps the lunatic fringe, that believes that guacamole should transform its flavor.
Some recipes for avocado are austere. One of Diana Kennedy’s calls for nothing but avocados, chiles, cilantro and onion. Another of her recipes, a regional version of a fall fruit guacamole, uses grapes, peaches and pomegranates. Rick Bayless roasts his chiles for a smokier flavor. Some recipes uses chipotles — smoked jalapeños — instead of raw green peppers. Some use sour cream, which to me is like mixing up your peanut butter with your jelly.
I like a full-flavored guacamole and use a few personal additions — toasted ground cumin (which I’ve loved in guacamole ever since I tasted it at the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia 20 years ago), chopped roasted tomatoes and a touch of olive oil.
John Broening cooks at Duo Restaurant in Denver, .
Guacamole
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 vine-ripened tomato
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 ripe Hass avocados
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and dried, roughly chopped
1 lime, halved
1 jalapeño, seeded, ribbed, stemmed and minced
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
Directions
Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomato in half through the stem and place cut side down on a small baking sheet. Season with a little salt and pepper and sprinkle it with half the olive oil. Bake about 20 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet and cool.
Peel off the skin from the tomato and finely chop. Set aside.
Place the cumin in a small skillet and toast over high heat. When the cumin begins to smoke, immediately transfer it to a small mixing bowl.
Cut the avocados in half. Remove each pit and score the flesh with a knife. With a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the mixing bowl with the cumin. Squeeze the lime over the avocado and mix well.
Add the cilantro, jalapeño, onion, tomato, and the remaining olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Cover the surface of the guacamole until ready for use.
Serve with chips, shellfish or spread on toast and topped with scrambled eggs.
