The Controversial Ingredient Your Guacamole Has Been Missing

From my manuscript:

My Very Special Guacamole

Serve a small bite size scoop of my special guacamole in a crunchy parmesan nest or on crispy tuiles for a tasty amuse bouche. Consider counting three per person for a walk about gathering, served on a paper not plastic toss-away tiny plate. Intersperse your gathering area with decorated well-marked, scattered small beautiful "toss trash" containers the purpose of which can't be missed. Decorate them to stand out from the decor but are still pretty eye-candy.

Here's "My Very Special Guacamole" -

Be very careful how you choose your produce department avocados. Decide ahead of time when you plan to use the avocados. Choose ones of equal ripeness. If you don't know how to choose, ask the supermarket or produce staff to help you decide.

To encourage ripening at home, put avocados in a closed brown paper bag on the counter, together with an apple or a banana. The gases created will speed up the ripening in a day. Watch closely.

Avocados are not inexpensive and when you get them home it's dreadful to discover they are inedible, full of stringy textured sometimes black innards. Yet the exterior shows no telltale signs.

At the produce counter pop off the little end pip to help check for ripeness. The flesh under the pip needs to be super green. Don't squeeze the fruit; touch very gently. When ripe it will bruise. Look for ones that have that special tactile feel.

When you are ready to make my guacamole, split the fruit and pop out the giant pit. (You can plant the pit in a soil filled small pot and grow a pretty counter plant. But don't expect fruit to grow.)

Working quickly mash the fruit in a bigger mixing bowl than you think you need. I mash using a wide pastry whisk. I mostly work with three avocado at a time. Begin by spritzing the perfect flesh generously with fresh-squeezed lime juice. Some people use lemon. I prefer the gentleness of less acidic limes.

Sprinkle with a little garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add a few tablespoons of best quality store-bought or rich homemade mayonnaise. Just let the mayo sit atop the lime-covered mash. Don't stir yet. Move quickly.

Now the "special" part begins. Pull out all your herbs and spices containers. If you have fresh, wonderful! But many are seasonal and not always available. I always have a giant airtight covered jar of fresh dried dill in my pantry. It keeps from one season till the next if well air-dried before storing.

And my Very Special Guacamole must have dill. For three mashed avocado I add about a generous teaspoon of dried dill to sit on top of the mayo. Don't stir yet.

Next best product choice if you don't have fresh is LiteHouse brand fresh freeze-dried herbs from Germany. They bloom like just picked when moisture attaches.

Next add a sprinkle each of sweet paprika, nutmeg, a pinch of thyme, basil and parsley. Add a flutter of garlic salt.

Sometimes I add just the tiniest dab of my homemade golden oven-roasted garlic purée from its sterilized glass airtight refrigerated jar. You shouldn't even know it's there when the mix is finished; just enhances other flavours.

If you insist and love it, add a smidgeon of crushed rosemary and or oregano. You might even add a pinch of tarragon.

Move quickly and arrange your mis en place ahead of time, because you want to keep the fruit from discolouring. Now it's time to stir and fold the herbed/spiced topped mayonnaise into the avocado so it's evenly distributed. No need to taste test. It's just perfect every time.

Using a rubber spatula put the guacamole into a just right size (so there's as little head space air space as possible) sterilized cold glass covered dish. Anchor the lid to expel any air space as best as possible. Burp the lid if doable. You might want to cover first with cling wrap. This guacamole will stay fresh for a couple of days and not discolour. Even if it does, it's edible. Just stir.

When you are ready to serve, spritz with a little fresh squeezed lime, again, and perhaps add a half cup of ready to eat tiny salad shrimp. Fill a crispy iceberg lettuce cup, using an ice cream scoop or serve in a crunchy parmesan cheese tuile nest. Eat immediately so the nest doesn't have a chance to get soggy.

There's loads of ways to serve. When I'm alone I often eat a scoop of just the guacamole by itself for breakfast. Sometimes topped with a barely hard cooked egg yolk crumpled on top. Sprinkle the egg yolk with just a whiff of sweet paprika, salt and pepper. Or a flutter of sea salt flakes and a few grains of cayenne.

Sometimes buttered, only with real butter (maybe fluffy air-filled pre-whipped), crustless toast points, other times just plain.

You could elaborate by topping with a little fresh full fat cold sour cream and a folded sheer napkin of Norwegian Smoked Steelhead frozen salmon (always in the freezer and it thaws instantly) or top with that so special Jewish cream cheese and a twisted fresh, cold, cured, sweet lox rose. Eat immediately.

An excellent pairing palette cleanser choice is the always perfect Noilly Prat. It cuts the delicious fat residue. If you don't have, substitute Bacardi Martini and Rossi vermouth; just a sipping tester glass of either. Or use a shot glass.

Lady Ralston's Amuse Bouche Hors D'Ouvres Collection ~ a Bite of this and a Nibble of that

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ADD-ON

I prepare my generous size 3-avocado guacamole and store it refrigerated in an airtight container and have it for breakfast three mornings in a row. Just tablespoons of it as I keep it covered. It is a very satisfying way to break a twelve hour overnight fast. I prefer my guacamole prepared using lime juice. Others prefer lemon. This amazing recipe is not just good, but especially good for you.

ENJOY! Lady R

It’s silly clickbait to say this is controversial. Lots of recipes for guacamole use sour cream. Adding some finely chopped tomatillos adds a fresh zing and also helps keep the guac from browning also.

Just yesterday I made an omelette and filed it with avocado and sour cream (full fat) mixed well.

This isn’t anything new. From adding yogurt, sour cream, or mayo. I’ve seen all the tricks for so-called preservation or achieving a creamier product when it comes to guac. I say, do what you love. And if you don’t have the aforementioned additives, a nice piece of plastic wrap/parchment pressed against the top of the guac has never let me down.

I’ve been adding sour cream or buttermilk for at least 25 years. I’m interested in the others use of mayo, I imagine it’d be similar, or like adding olive oil. I’ve done that and it adds a little something nice too.

mayo or sour cream. Been doing this forever behind my guests backs! Texture and flavor both improved.

Mayo. Maybe a tablespoon per 2 large avocados. It rounds out the fat and makes it taste and "feel" better. But I'm going to try the sour cream next time.

I almost always add a bit of good mayonnaise! Likely more controversial than sour cream but we love it!

My go-to recipe for guacamole for a crowd calls for low-fat cottage cheese. It's more guacamole-ish than for-real, but it makes a single avocado go a long way, and, yes, it doesn't go brown. (Guacamole with Cottage Cheese, from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)

I had no idea this was controversial - I do it in my cookbook, but I can attest to how delicious it is!