To make a great gaucamole, always start with the simple an freshest ingredients: ripe avocados, lime juice, white onions, cilantro and kosher salt. Salting is important for bringing out the flavors of the avocado and the lime juice.
A generous amount of lime juice keeps the gaucamole bright green and prevents browning,once it is served. Be sure to use lime juice just after cutting the avocados in half and right after cutting into cubes during the preparation.
Avocados and lime juice are just the beginning of making a great gaucamole. To take it to the next level, get creative with some other ingredients. Try adding raw corn kernels sliced directly off the cob or using diced radishes. Also try topping your gaucamole with cotija or feta cheese as a garnish before serving it to your guests. The possibilities are limitless.
And for the gadget loving cook, there are some tools to help you perfect your gaucamole recipe, including the centuries old molcajete (mortar) to the modern day avoloop.
All the tools and gadgets listed here are available at Williams-Sonoma.
Molcajete
Among the world’s oldest culinary tools, volcanic rock mortars and pestles like these have been used by great cooks for thousands of years. This molcajete (mortar) and tejolete (pestle) are hand carved from a single piece of basalt rock, so every piece is unique. In addition to being a great prep tool, the molcajete makes an impressive serving dish for guacamole and other party favorites.
- Perfect for crushing whole spices and making spice blends.
- Ideal for blending and serving guacamole—or for making pesto and other rustic sauces.
- Line with lettuce leaves to use as an all-purpose serving bowl.
- Rough interior texture of mortar helps crush and grind ingredients.
- Heavy pestle does the work for you, ensuring efficient grinding, blending and mixing.
Use & Care
- Season the mortar before first use: grind raw rice inside the bowl until the rice turns gray; empty and repeat until the rice no longer turns gray; rinse with water and scrub with a brush.
- Always place the molcajete on top of a cloth to avoid scratching the surface of your table or countertop.
- Avoid drastic changes in temperature.
- Hand-wash with running water, dish soap and a brush. Dry thoroughly.
Four in-One Avocado Tool
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Peeling, pitting and mashing an avocado is child’s play with this multitasking four in-one tool. A serrated edge cuts through the skin, a curved tip detaches the pit and a scoop removes the flesh. A slotted masher makes quick work of the flesh.
- One end features a serrated edge with a curved tip and a scoop, all made of nylon; opposite end has a stainless-steel slotted masher.
- Nylon handle provides a nonslip grip.
- Dishwasher safe.
- A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
Avocado Cuber
This tool is indispensable for cutting uniform-sized cubes of avocado for adding to salads, soups and other dishes, or simply prepping avocadoes for making guacamole.
- Cuts and scoops out neat, even cubes of avocado in seconds.
- Reduces waste by using all of the avocado flesh.
- Easy to use: just align with an avocado half, push down, twist and lift.
- Sturdy stainless-steel wires cut cleanly through avocado flesh.
- Dishwasher safe.
- A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
The Avoloop
When you’ve cut into a beautifully ripe avocado, you want to capture every last bit of the delicious treat. The Avoloop is ideally shaped to scoop out the flesh from an avocado half in one clean sweep. It also comes in handy for peeling and prepping other produce – everything from cucumber to melon.
- Cleanly separates peel from skin, reducing food waste.
- Flexible stainless-steel wire adapts to fruit or vegetable’s shape for scooping.
- Birch wood handle.
- Also works for peeling mango, papaya, baked potato, squash and melon.
- Great for cleaning seeds from cucumbers, pumpkins, bell peppers, tomatoes.
Chef’n Citrus Juicer
Thanks to an inverted press, this tool quickly extracts every drop of juice from halved limes, lemons and small oranges for flavorful cocktails, baking and cooking.
- Works with any halved small citrus.
- Patented gear mechanism maximizes juicing efficiency.
- Inverted strainer retains virtually all pulp.
- Easy-to-squeeze nylon handles.
Vegetable Chop & Measure
With a quick press of the hinged frame, this tool slices and dices hard and soft produce into a compartment underneath. The mini chopper (sold separately) is ideal for small vegetables like garlic, shallots, mushrooms and ginger.
- Preps fruits and vegetables with a quick push of the lid, and the slices fall into a handy container.
- The full-size cutter features four interchangeable cutters fitted with supersharp stainless-steel cutting grids; one grid makes slices and the three others produce 1/6″, 1/4″ or 1/2″ dice.
- A clear plastic compartment below the full-size cutter measures up to 2 1/2 cups of cut produce.
- The mini chopper slices on one grid and dices on the other.
- Disassembles easily for cleaning.
- Includes a reusable cleaning comb.
- Frame and measuring compartment are dishwasher safe.
- A Williams-Sonoma exclusive.
Chef’n Lime Juicer
Thanks to an inverted press, this tool quickly extracts every drop of juice from halved limes for flavorful cocktails, baking and cooking.
- Works with any halved small citrus.
- Patented gear mechanism maximizes juicing efficiency.
- Inverted strainer retains virtually all pulp.
- Easy-to-squeeze nylon handles.
Avocado Saver
Keep halved avocados fresh longer with this handy gadget, which reduces oxidation and browning by protecting the exposed side from air. Simply align the pit over the indentation, then secure the avocado with the adjustable rubber strap, which creates a tight seal against the plastic base.
- Reduces waste by preventing oxidation and discoloration.
- Flat bottom stands easily on a refrigerator shelf.
- Dishwasher safe (top rack).
Source: Williams-Sonoma, May 2015
Photo Credits: Williams-Sonoma, 2015
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