I broke my small mortar and pestle a few months back. This week they had some nice granite ones at Costco, larger than what I had before. Thinking longingly of my three very ripe avocados at home, I decided to get one and enjoy guacamole for lunch. When I got home, I took it out of the box to get started right away and found, much to my dismay (being an instant gratification type), the mortar and pestle require seasoning, and the process takes several days. Oh well.
By Sunday I was up and running, though, and those avocados were just as good today, probably even better. Here’s how I made it, quick, basic and very easy:
GUACAMOLE
Ingredients
- Avocado, 3 very ripe
- Jalapeno, 1
- Tomato, 2 very small
- Green onion, 2-3
- Cilantro, a few sprigs, chopped (should make about 2 TB)
- Lime, juice from half of one juicy lime, more to taste
- Salt, 1 tsp.
Instructions
- Mince green onion, jalapeno (you can start with 1/2 jalapeno if you’re heat sensitive), chops cilantro and petite dice tomato.
- Cut around avocado, take out seed, scoop flesh into a seasoned mortar with a spoon. Add lime juice and salt.
- While holding the mortar on a slight tilt, mash the avocado/salt/lime juice mixture into the sides of the mortar with a swooping motion. Push avocado to side of mortar.
- Add the minced green onion and jalapeno to the other side of the mortar, and press a bit with the pestle, then stir into the avocado using the same swooping motion up the sides of the mortar.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Add diced tomatoes and mix in fairly gently. Do not mash the tomatoes. If you’re not serving right away, hold out the tomatoes ’til serving time.
- The best way to store avocado and prevent browning is to spread onion across the top of it, and cover with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, remove the wrap and pit, stir gently, check again for seasoning, and fold in tomatoes.
I took the picture out in back on the first sunny, slightly warmer day than we’ve had. As we were eating, I was reminded of picking avocados off the trees in the back yard in Arizona and in Israel for breakfast. Even on our best days, we can’t grow avocado around here.
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Leslie, I’ve never had a mortar and pestle and I have no idea on how to season one!
Curious!
The instructions came with it, Ana, thank goodness, because I wouldn’t have known either! It’s just to use the pestle to crush rock salt or white rice into the entire inner surface of the bowl – then rinse in cold water, cleaning with a plastic brush. You have to do that each day over several days until the bowl rinses out clean, no dust or discoloration in the rinse water.
That would happen to me too! I’ve never made guac w green onions but want to try it really soon.
Actually, I only had green onions in the house. I usually make it with red onion. (-;