Photo Credit: William-Sonoma, 2015

From Bar  Amá  Restaurant Los Angeles, California, March 2015

There are almost as many ways to make guacamole as there are cooks who enjoy making it with the freshest ingredients. At the Los Angeles restaurant Bar Amá, celery puree is the secret ingredient. No one will be able to guess what’s in the guacamole, but everyone will agree it’s delicious. Another secret to making great guacamole is the use of more than enough lime juice, to prevent the browning of the condiment while being served.

Makes About 3 1/2 Cups
Ingredients:
2 celery stalks, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons water Kosher salt, to taste
4 ripe Hass avocados, pitted
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) fresh lime juice, or more as needed
2 teaspoons minced serrano chile
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Directions:
In a blender, combine the celery, garlic, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth. Measure out 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of the celery puree; discard the remaining celery puree or reserve for another use. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the 1/4 cup celery puree, the lime juice, chile, cilantro and 2 teaspoon salt. Using a large fork or potato masher, mash the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined but the mixture is not completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and lime juice. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.