No Cinco de Mayo celebration is complete without a really great guacamole. Being big fans of interesting and non-traditional takes on this staple of Mexican cuisine, this version was right up our alley. Traditional “guac” contains mashed avocados (duh), diced tomatoes, minced onion, minced jalapeño, lime juice, salt and cilantro. The variations, however, are endless. We’ve had it with bacon and figs, shaved truffles (because we faincy), with mango and red bell peppers, jicama, and peppers from nearly every level of the Scoville scale. Endless. Varieties.
This iteration started as a salsa recipe from Food & Wine, believe it or not. Avocado and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, to be exact. It had all of the elements that we love: creaminess from the avocado, heat from the jalapeños, and that tart, acidic brightness from the tomatillos. It wasn’t long after reading the recipe that Kyle went into “tweaking” mode, and this bowl of smoky deliciousness resulted.
His first move was to increase the amount of avocado, thus moving this from the “salsa” camp squarely into guacamole territory, and making the tomatillos more of a flavoring element than a main component. The original also had a more extensive and slightly unconventional ingredients list that included leeks, sugar, cumin and oregano. They all ended up on the chopping block rather than the cutting board. This streamlined the process considerably. With the loss of those ingredients, it was necessary to increase the proportions of some of the remaining components.
More onions took the place of the leeks, and two jalapeños, rather than one, found their way onto the roasting pan. What can we say? We’re big fans of the heat. Feel free to scale that back (chickens), or up (call us) as you see fit. In the past, we’ve suggested that you keep a small supply of latex examination gloves in the kitchen. Here they’ll serve double duty, first preventing you from getting the pepper juice on your fingers, and second, they’ll come in quite handy while husking the tomatillos. They can be a little sticky when peeled, and the gloves make them a little easier to handle.
Another great advantage to this recipe is that the roasting of the vegetables grants you a reprieve from the tedium of dicing and mincing them. Peel, seed, and loosely chop them, toss them in a little oil, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and give them a quick roast.
Once they’re lightly charred, into the blender or food processor they go. No muss, no fuss. Add in the lime juice and cilantro and you have a gorgeous, smoky tomatillo salsa that makes a delicious party dip on its own. But why stop there?
With the back of a sturdy fork, give the avocados a mash in a molcajete or other heavy bowl, then fold in the tomatillo puree.
Add a little salt, garnish with more fresh chopped cilantro, and you’ll have a guacamole that will disappear faster than you can shout “Viva México!” Serve it with some homemade tortilla chips and, oh, say ALL of the margaritas, and you’ll have a fiesta fit for Benito Jaurez himself. Buen Provecho!
Inspired by Food & Wine.
- ½ pound tomatillos—husked, cored and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled
- 2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and halved
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 Haas avocados—peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
- Salt
- Preheat the oven to 425°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño and onion with the oil and spread in a single layer. Roast the vegetables until lightly charred and softened, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender and let cool. Add the cilantro and lime juice to blender and puree until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, mash the avocado . Add the tomatillo puree to the bowl and gently fold into the mashed avocado. Season with salt and serve chilled or at room temperature.
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