Avocado is A Fruit Presented by Chef Rick Bayless at Dominick's Corner

[Gardenia C. Hung]

Avocado is A Fruit Presented by Chef Rick Bayless at Dominick's Corner from G.H.Wittler on Vimeo.

Avocado is a fruit used to make Guacamole according to Chef Rick Bayless who was featured at Dominick's Corner for the Taste of Chicago. Here are Chef Rick Bayless' top four tips for the best guacamole ever:

Start ripe. You need ripe avocados. If you bring home still-firm avocados from your local grocery, leave them at room temperature until soft. When the bulbous end of the avocado yields to firm pressure, the avocado is ready to use. Make sure that the “button” or brown stem piece is still in the avocados that you buy. It acts as a seal so that air can’t get into the avocado.

Go chunky. Tastes differ, but Bayless finds that most people enjoy coarse-textured guacamole with chunks of avocado. Not only is the texture of the guacamole satisfying–no pabulum, no puree–but it shows your guacamole is the real deal, nothing from a frozen pouch.

Get flavor. In Mexico, some cooks coarsely mash avocados, season them with salt–maybe a little garlic–and call the result “guacamole.” While Bayless thinks that’s a good start, he adds a few more flavorings before using the “guacamole” label: cilantro, chopped raw white onion (rinse it under cold water for the cleanest, brightest flavor), plus some chopped green chile, and a little lime. Once you’ve got your base, you can add tomatoes (even tomatillos), change white onion for red, add citrus or tropical (or even dried) fruit, stir in smoked fish or nuts, and choose from a wide variety of chiles. The possibilities are endless.

Stay green. You can’t keep guacamole from turning brown … but you can slow it down. Use Hass avocados, add lime to your guacamole, cover the finished mixture with plastic directly on its surface, and keep it cold–even when you serve.

Guacamole (US /ɡwɑːkəˈmoʊliː/; Spanish: [wakaˈmole] or [ɡwakaˈmole]), is an avocado-based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico.[1] In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine it has also become part of American cuisine as a dip, condiment and salad ingredient.[2][3] It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) with sea salt. Some recipes call for tomato, onion, garlic, lime juice, chili, yogurt and/or additional seasonings.