Quick and Easy Guacamole

When I first started making guacamole I was working in a restaurant that over-salted everything and
added, in my opinion, too many ingredients where a simpler approach was required. It was a chain and
they wanted uniformity, and I was quite often so frustrated with the way things were done that I would
quietly alter the recipes to make them more palatable. Sometimes I got pulled up on it, but mostly my
actions went unnoticed. Guacamole was one of those dishes that had been over-complicated with
unnecessary ingredients that only detracted rather than added to the dish. I’ve sampled many different
versions over the years and have made as many varieties myself. For me, Guacamole is a humble dish
that has some depth but where the main ingredient – the avocado – shines through. It should be clean
and fresh, not over salty or too spicy, with just a touch of lemon. I hope you try this version which, for
me, represents its unique and subtle flavour. Make this dish two hours ahead of time and serve the
same day as it doesn’t keep very well.

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Prep time: 10 minutes. Chilling time: 2 hours.
Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 ripe Has avocados, cut in half lengthways and the stones removed
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ small red onion, finely diced
¼ tsp salt
A handful of chopped coriander
¼ tsp garlic granules
¼ tsp ground cumin
A pinch of cayenne pepper
4 baby plum or cherry tomatoes, finely diced.

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Method:
Scoop out the avocado flesh from the skin with a desert spoon (this will be easy with ripe fruit) and
place them in a mixing bowl, or saucepan if you prefer a flat surface. Immediately pour on the lemon
juice and toss the avocadoes to coat them. Take a potato masher and mash the avocadoes until they are
thick and mushy with a few small lumps remaining, then add all the ingredients apart from the tomatoes
and mix well. When that is done add the tomatoes and gently fold into the mixture to not disturb them
too much. Finally place in an air-tight container and chill in the fridge for two hours before serving.

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