Adventures of a Chef on the Run: Guacamole and Home Made Tortilla Chips

Until a few years ago, when I was taught this recipe, guacamole was another one of those foods that I really wanted to like, although I just didn't no matter how I tried it.  This list also includes things like hummus, shrimp and eggs.  It's not that I have any inherent issues with any of these foods, for whatever reason I just don't like them, even if I really want to.  I didn't really like the taste of guacamole and for the most part, all of the guacamole I had until that point was really bland, with the somewhat weird texture that avocado flesh has.  When staying with some of John's family for a few months, we finally had guacamole worth trying.  I had them teach me how to make it, and to this day it's really the only type of guacamole I'll eat. 

Living in Mexico, I'm lucky because I have local access to fresh and delicious corn tortillas.  The pictures above are from the kilo I bought today, for breakfast and the chips we needed to eat the guacamole.  They are best when you walk up to the Tortilleria and smell the slightly popcorny odor emanating from the place.  There's a machine with a Mexican standing at it, catching the tortillas as they shoot out to stack them.  Most barrios have at least one Tortilleria, and that holds true for mine. 

They're light, fluffy and full of bubbles and air pockets.  I was honestly surprised at how much thicker a bundled kilo of fresh tortillas was compared to older tortillas like the ones you buy at Walmart. They're only 17 pesos a kilo, less than a dollar for more than two pounds.  You can get a half kilo for 8.50 pesos, or less than 50 cents. For most meals, a half kilo is more than enough for two people. While they are much cheaper at grocery stores, even the fresh ones are for whatever reason just not as good as the fresh ones you can get from a tortilleria.  

For the chips, you just need the tortillas, oil and salt to make them happen.  For guac, you'll need: avocados, bell pepper, fresh onion, fresh tomato, fresh lime or lemon juice and salt.  The idea is to have a chunky flavorful guac, with the peppers, onions and tomatoes suspended in seasoned smashed avocado.  

Get the process going for the chips started first, by filling a frying pan with about an inch of oil.  Get it really hot, before putting anything in the pan.  Cut the tortillas into quarters with a knife, to get them ready to fry.

When the oil seems sufficiently hot, you can tell by holding your hand above the surface of the oil, judging the air coming off of it. Add a layer of chips, one at a time until most of the pan is filled.

Allow to fry for several minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown before you flip them, one by one so they cook evenly. 

Allow to fry until the chips are golden brown and remove them from the pan allowing as much oil as possible to drip off.  Transfer them to a bowl, and add the next round.  Keep frying until you feel you have enough chips, which is pretty dependant on the person.  Toss salt in with the chips, if you like salty tortilla chips. 

Cut the avocados in half, pivoting the knife around the pit as a guide.  A twist of the two halves once cut should separate them, the pit will stay in one of the halves.  Carefully remove the pits if you plan on planting them, doing so by smacking a knife into it is not the way to go if planting is the goal. I'll explain proper pit care in my next article, where I share how to plant them. 

Remove the flesh and add it to a bowl, or other container to mix it in.  Smash the avocados into a puree with a fork using the side of the bowl.  Finely chop and add the bell pepper, I used most of a whole one for the four avocados I used.  The key with this is balance of all the ingredients in both amounts and size.  Loosely follow the ratios I share here and your guacamole should turn out similar. Everything should be finely chopped, for even distribution of ingredients throughout the dip. 

I used one roma tomato for this, also finely chopped.  I used about half of a white onion, finely chopped to the amount of avocado I have for the recipe.  I prefer the taste of red onions for this purpose, but I used what I had on hand. Add these to the bowl as well. 

Cut a lime and squeeze in the juice.  How much juice is dependant on your taste, as is salt.  Add a little of both each, tasting often until the guacamole tastes delicious to you.  Once it does, it's ready to eat.

So there you have it, the only guacamole I'll eat.  I've tried several kinds since then, always disappointed by the results.  At the end of the day this is the kind I like, which is fine by me because I know how to make it.  If you don't like guacamole, I suggest you try this recipe, especially with home made chips.  It has texture and flavor that makes the whole thing really good and different from most of the guacamole I've ever come across.  Let me know your thoughts, happy cooking!