There are about as many recipes for guacamole as for the companion beverage, the margarita. Rosa Mexicano has been the leading Mexican restaurant in New York City for decades. They strive for authentic, excellent food. Chef Roberto Santianez has compiled his outstanding recipes into Rosa’s Mexican Table. The restaurant prides itself in tableside preparation of guacamole and uses this distinctive recipe.
You may only have had guacamole that is mellow green and impeccably smooth. This recipe is just the opposite. Here a chile paste is made to provide the “umpff” factor and the avocados are cut into large chunks and coated with the paste. The resulting guacamole has a spectrum of colors: the yellows and greens from the range of colors inherent in the avocado. No mashing here.
I like this recipe, which is focused on preserving the avocado flavor and texture. I did find that the proportions presented here did not give me quite the amount of chile paste I wanted to really coat the avocado. So, I ended up doubling the first three ingredients. That is just a personal preference. You can play with the recipe, too, but keep the key idea of having the avocado saved in large chunks. Biting through a piece of ripe avocado ranks up there with soft ice cream. Delightfully yummy.
Chunky Guacamole
Ingredients
1 tablespoon freshly chopped white onion
1 firmly packed tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
3 medium ripe but firm Hass avocados (about 8 ounces each)
3 tablespoons dice d tomato
2 firmly packed tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
Salt if necessary
Preparation
First make a chile paste. Grind the onion, cilantro, jalapeno and salt together in a molcajete [mortar] until all the ingredients are very finely ground. Alternatively, use a fork to mash all the ingredients to a paste in a wide hardwood blow.
Cut each avocado in half, working with the knife blade around the pit. Twist the halves to separate them and flick out the pit with the tip of the knife. Fold a kitchen towel in quarters and hold it in the palm of your “non-knife” hand. Rest an avocado half cut side up in t your palm, and make 3 or 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through the avocado flesh down to the skin, without cutting through the skin. Make 4 crosswise cuts in the same way. Scoop the diced avocado flesh into the molcajete. Repeat with the remaining avocado halves.
Gently fold the avocado into the paste, keeping avocado is as large pieces as possible. Add the tomato, cilantro, and onion and fold in gently. Check and add salt if necessary. Serve immediately.
Source: Rosa’s Mexican Tableby Roberto Santibanez