Unholy guacamole

What I am about to share with you is deeply unorthodox. It’s my own recipe for guacamole, cultivated over the past two decades as I have developed a fully-fledged love of avocados.

I always thought the way I made guacamole was pretty standard. You know, salt, a bit of lemon, avocado of course, and a few other things. But stumbling across a recipe like this one about a decade ago, which infers that much modern guacamole is pretty much a disgraceful mix of inappropriate flavours, I felt both a little shame and a little pride. So maybe I am not strictly orthodox, perhaps it is indeed a little gauche to sprinkle a touch of sugar into your guacamole. On the other hand, if it makes it even more delicious, then what’s wrong with being a little bit of a culinary rebel?

I am particularly delighted to bring my recipe for guacamole to you as it results from kindness and generosity. I happen to have a bounty of avocados in my life right now. I have a regular subscription to the delightful Avo Tree (a little luxury that gets me through some long months of drug treatment which requires me to be alcohol and caffeine- ie all my favourite treats -free). And then, as my most recent Avo Tree subscription sat ripening on the windowsill, imagine my delight when a workmate presented me with a bag from her mum’s avocado tree in Golden Bay! Despite being a long-term lover of the avocado, I had no idea they grew on long skinny stalks in bunches and have to be harvested while still green. Fascinating!

While I have photographed this batch of my uncouth guacamole with healthy peppers and carrot sticks, it really is most delicious and decadent with some tasty salted corn chips. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Flesh of 2-3 ripe or over-ripe avocados (ha! Like they ever have a chance to get over- ripe when I’m around)

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped finely

1 t salt

1/2 t ground pepper

1 t caster sugar (uncouth)

1/4 t nutmeg (even more uncouth)

1 t chilli flakes

Juice of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons

1 T balsamic or red wine vinegar

Tabasco sauce

Cayenne pepper

Method

Well it’s pretty easy. Put all the above in a large bowl.

The next bit depends on your preferences and available kitchen tools. I prefer my guacamole smooth so I use a stick mixer to blend the lot, but mashing with a fork is perfectly fine too.

Taste after seasoning – I often find I need a little more salt and lemon for my tastes.