Multi-Citrus Guacamole Recipe

Nothing says summer like fresh guacamole served with tostadas or tortilla chips. The ingredients are bright and happy, but the sum is infinitely greater than its parts. Brushing up on those ol' guacamole skills will serve to be prudent as we approach the festivities of Cinco de Mayo and prime patio season.


It's my belief that the best guacamole is made with a good old fashioned mortar and pestle, much like proper pesto. If you don't have a real mortar and pestle, you can employ the same method using a wooden spoon and a heavy bowl. They key is to stir and mash simultaneously, in a single, swift motion. Avocado is the star of the show in guacamole and it's just not the same when it's been puréed to a homogenized pulp in a food processor. I like to keep a bit of that delicious avocado texture.

Guacamole is all about fresh, high-quality ingredients and it's meant to be enjoyed immediately. If you're missing something on the list below then you're better off leaving that item out instead of diminishing the dish with an inferior powdered or canned ingredient. No fridge lime juice either! Only the real deal.


Restaurants sometimes add sour cream or mayonnaise to the recipe, but there isn't really any need. Avocados are plenty rich and those creamy additions will just detract from the delicious avocado flavor and dull the other vibrant flavours we all look forward to.


Tasting as you go is essential for any recipe, but particularly for guacamole. Depending on the season, produce availability, and size and ripeness of the avocados, you may need to add more lime, an extra pinch of salt or sugar, or an extra avocado.


I leave the pits in until I'm ready to serve the guac. It helps slow down the oxidization process and keeps the dish lovely and green. Lime juice also helps to slow the browning. In the recipe below, I added a touch of lemon juice and orange juice for extra citrus dimension, along with the slightest hint of orange, lemon and lime rind and a bit of the orange pulp. The sweetness from the orange balances out the bitterness of the salt, tequila and rind for optimal flavor balance. Now that I've made this multi-citric guacamole, I'll never make another version. This one rocks and it's a feast for the eyes with all its wonderful colours.


The quantities listed below are a good guideline, but remember to taste, taste, taste! Feel empowered to add more or less of the items to suit your personal palate.


Ingredients

• 4 ripe Mexican Hass avocados (black skin that is firm, but yields to the touch)
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 2 scallions, chopped thin
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced (or a handful of cherry tomatoes)
• 2 jalapeño peppers with seeds and veins removed, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon of course sea salt
• rind of 1 lime
• rind of 1 lemon
• rind of 1/2 an orange
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 orange, peeled, segmented and chopped
• 1-2 drops of good, Mexican tequila

Method

1. Combine the ripe avocados with the citrus juices as you gently mash them against the side of the bowl. Remember not too stir the guacamole too much so you can keep some texture in the dip!

2. Gently incorporate all the other ingredients into the avocado mixture.

3. Taste and adjust.

4. Serve to friends.

5. Beam with with pride.

Avocado Nutrition

Avocados are rich in mono and polyunsaturated fats that lower LDL cholesterol and help your heart.

Avocados fill you up. Put some in your salad notice how you stay full much longer.

The creamy texture of avocados is great for people who have difficulty digesting lactose. Puree them in salad dressing or add them to your morning smoothie instead of yogurt.

Avocados have Potassium, Vitamin B6,  Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin E, Fibre as well as the antioxidants Lutein and Beta-sitosterol.

For a fantastic deep-conditioning treatment, mash up an avocado and leave it in your hair for 30 minutes as a deep conditioner. For a simple, moisturizing homemade skin cream that uses avocados, click here.