Neither mayonnaise nor guacamole, but something in between and, in some instances, better than either as a sandwich spread. Great, too, as a dip for cold shellfish. You can also thin it with heavy cream, sour cream, or yogurt and use it as a salad dressing (think of it as real Green Goddess). Make it spicy or not, as you like; I’ve had it both ways.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1 habanero or other hot fresh chile, stemmed and seeded, or hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly smashed
2 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Combine all the ingredients but the lime juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 2
Scrape into a bowl and add the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.
MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
