Classic Guacamole

There must be a million different recipes for Guacamole out there. Some don't even call for avocados! Trying a simple Guacamole recipe from Mexico One Plate At A Time might seem like a waste, but it was National Guacamole Day and it was the first cookbook I pulled that had a recipe for guacamole.

I forgot the cardinal rule of guacamole...don't try to get avocados the day you are going to make the 'guac' cuz you will never find ripe ones.You will end up getting some very small, somewhat soft, green flesh orbs, that probably came from some small town in Alaska that grows them for tractor fuel and they will taste nothing like your beloved Hass (which according to Wikipedia is commonly misspelled Haas).

The avocados weren't THAT bad, but they just didn't have an avocado taste that pleased the palate. The rest of the taste of the guacamole was pretty good, though I did have to add more salt than I think would normally be required to make up for the tasteless avocados.

It may seem like a lot of instructions for a simple guacamole dish. That's just because Rick Bayless really takes you through all the steps so there is no question what you are doing.

CLASSIC GUACAMOLE
(Guacamole Clasico)

Fresh hot green chiles to taste (about 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup), plus a little extra for garnish
6 ounces (1 medium round or 2 plum) tomatoes (you want these ripe, though absolute red ripeness isn't as important here as it is, say, for chopped tomato salsa)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus a little extra for garnish
3 medium-large (about 1 1/4 pounds total) ripe avocados
Salt
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
A few slices of radish for garnish (optional)

Roasting the Chilies:
Lay the chilies in a small ungreased skillet set over medium heat. Turn them every minute or so until they have softened (they darken in spots), 5 to 10 minutes. Mash them into a coarse puree, using a mortar, or finely chop them. Place in a large bowl.
More Flavorings:
Scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water; shake off excess water and add to the bowl with the chiles. Chop the tomatoes into small bits---skin, seeds and all is my preference. You should have a scant cup. Add to the bowl along with the cilantro.
The Avocados:
To cut an avocado in half, you have to negotiate the large egg-shaped pit in the middle. Make a cut down the length of 1 avocado straight through to the pit. Continue cutting all the way around the pit until you wind up where you started. Twist the two halves in opposite directions and pull them apart. Scoop out the pit (the hueso, or bone, in Spanish) with a spoon. Then scoop out the avocado flesh from the skin and add to the bowl. Do the same with the remaining avocados. Use an old-fashioned potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the avocado flesh into a coarse pulp, mixing in the other ingredients as you go.
Seasoning the Guacamole:
Taste the guacamole and season with salt, usually a scant teaspoon, then add some of the lime juice and taste again. Continue seasoning with lime until the guacamole has enough zip for you. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Serving:
Unless you're serving guacamole dolloped on tacos or the like, the classic way to present it to your guests is in a Mexican lava-rock mortar (molcajete), sprinkled with chopped onion and cilantro. Sliced radish, if you have it, looks pretty here, and to the Mexican eye completes the very popular, patriotic red-white-and-green motif.
Working Ahead:
Guacamole is good when freshly made, but, in my opinion, it tastes even better when the flavors are allowed to mingle for about half an hour before serving. If well chilled, it'll keep for several hours. After that, the flavors get out of balance and the avocado starts to turn brown.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serving 6 as an appetizer, 8 to 10 as a nibble.

Note: I used serrano chiles, plum tomatoes and I left off the radishes.

Note: I tried using an old fashioned potato masher, but that so didn't work. I ended up just using a fork instead.

Note: I just used the guacamole with some tortilla chips.