Guacamole - Lourdes Castro

Ingredients

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• 1/4  white onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1  jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup(s) lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt, plus more as needed
• 3  Hass avocados
• 1  plum tomato, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

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Directions

1. Create a base with onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Put the chopped onion in a mound in the center of your cutting board. Top it with the chopped jalapeño and then the chopped cilantro. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt on the vegetables. Using your chef's knife, chop and crush the vegetables until they are very finely chopped. The salt will cause some of the moisture to be drawn out from the vegetables, which will help to blend their flavors. Transfer the vegetables to a large shallow bowl.
2. Scoop out and mash the avocado. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Using a spoon, scoop out all of the flesh and place it in the bowl with the vegetables.
3. A mortar or tart tamper is a great tool for this next step. If you don't have either, a dinner fork will do just fine. Mash the avocado until you achieve the consistency you want. (This part is entirely up to you. There are some people who like their guacamole chunky, while others prefer it smooth. I like it somewhere in the middle, where I can still see some chunks of avocado but most of it is well blended.)
4. Season and garnish. Add the tomato, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to the guacamole and combine well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro.

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Tips & Techniques

Variations: There are as many versions of guacamole as there are guacamole eaters. This is a very classic rendition, which you can leave as is or use as a base for creating your own. Try adding more tomato or substituting a red onion for the white one. It's really up to you.

Advance preparation: Although there are a number of techniques claiming to slow down the browning reaction avocados undergo, I never seem to have much luck with them. This is one of those recipes where you just have to make it soon before eating. It can sit for one hour, if you place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole.