When we make guacamole, we make it to order. It’s one of those dishes that doesn’t improve with age. The avocados have to be perfectly ripe, giving gently when pressed, and then mixed with just the right balance of other ingredients. We serve our guacamole with warm, crisp tostones, a Cuban specialty made from fried plantains. You can make the tostones ahead of time and then refry them right before serving.
Recipe information
Yield
feeds 3 or 4
Ingredients
The Tostones
The Guacamole
Preparation
Step 1
Get the plantains ready for peeling by slicing the ends off. Cut each in half crosswise, and then make 4 long slits, just piercing the skin, down the length of each piece of plantain. Douse with warm water and soak for 10 minutes. Peel and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Step 2
Heat the oil til hot but not smoking in a high-sided 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Slide in the plantains and cook for 3 minutes, or til they’re a light golden color. Take the pan off the heat. Fish out a few plantain slices at a time and sandwich them between 2 layers of parchment paper. Let them rest for a minute. Then, while they’re still pretty hot, use a potholder to protect your hand while you press down on each parchment-encased plantain slice to smash it as thin as you can. (If you’re making the tostones ahead of time, stop here. You’ll be cooking them again in the same pan and oil to crisp and warm them right before serving.)
Step 3
Start whipping up the guacamole by tossing the tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeños, and cilantro together in a bowl. (Cover and refrigerate at this point if you want to do this ahead of time.)
Step 4
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise all the way around, and twist the halves apart. Pluck out the pit and then scoop out the flesh. Save the hollowed-out avocado shells to use as natural containers for the finished guacamole. Put the avocado flesh in a large bowl and mash with a fork, leaving it a bit chunky. Fold in the tomato mixture and give it a stir. Season it up with salt, pepper, lime juice, and Tabasco.
Step 5
Right before serving, set the skillet with the oil back on the stove over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, slip some of the smashed plantains back into the oil without crowding, and fry for about 3 minutes, flipping them over in the oil to get them crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper while they’re still warm. Continue frying the remaining plantains, adding more oil if necessary.
Step 6
Mound the guacamole in a bowl or in the hollowed-out avocado shells, and ring it with warm tostones.
