What could be better than devouring the succulent, buttery flesh of an avocado with the knowledge that you are fighting bad cholesterol and working to rejuvenate your skin.
Every bite is not only delicious, but it is good for you as well.
For me, that makes avocado taste even better. It is almost a complete food and contains significant amounts of vitamins E and B, potassium, fibre and minerals, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, which are good for us.
Avocados are freely available in New Zealand and are grown mostly in the far north and the East Cape region. They are from the flowering plant family Lauraceae, related to cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. They are highly frost-sensitive so don't grow well here except in places that are frost-free.
Luckily, we have Bay Subtropical to supply us. Located just outside Takaka in Golden Bay, it has its own special microclimate. It grows lots of avocados and provides us with a regular supply of the fruit.
Avocados are native to Mexico, so the Mexican people know how to prepare them extremely well. They have a sense about them and the fruit is central to their diet.
Although avocados have been adapted into the cuisine of many other countries around the world, you experience them in a unique way when eating an avocado dish cooked in Mexico or by a Mexican person. I am lucky enough to know Brisa, from Mexico, and eating her guacamole or avocado and shrimp is a total delight.
She shared her salsa recipe in the chilli story written some time ago and she has agreed to provide several of her avocado recipes. She even uses avocado mixed with olive oil to condition her hair! Soon she is starting a Mexican food cart in Nelson-Tasman called Las Brisas, so watch out for her and try her authentic, tasty food.
Hass is the variety most commonly available here, with its black, alligator-like skin. There are also other, bright green varieties such as fuerte. When you are buying avocado, make sure that the skin is firm but not too hard. The skin should be free of cracks and spots, with no sunken bits.
If the avocado is not quite ripe, it may be several days before it is ready to use. You know it is ripe when the fruit can be squeezed ever so slightly. If the skin yields too easily, it is over-ripe.
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A tip: If you have bought an avocado that is hard, putting it in a bag with a banana will speed up the ripening process.
Keep avocados at room temperature until they are fully ripe. You can refrigerate them at that point but not before, as it slows down the ripening process too much.
Once you have opened an avocado, the flesh will oxidise rapidly. The Mexican people leave the pit in an opened avocado to slow down the process. Also, cover the surface with a generous amount of lime juice. Preferably, use the whole avocado as quickly as possible, and remember if you prepare a dish too far in advance, it will start to brown.
GUACAMOLE A LA BRISA
Makes about 2 cups
4 ripe avocados
1 tomato
1/2 red onion
1 serrano chilli (or another hot chilli of your choice)
1 clove of garlic
Juice of 2 limes
Sea salt
A handful of chopped coriander
Finely slice the onion and squeeze the juice of one lime over the onion. Let the onion marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Cut the tomato into small dice and season with plenty of sea salt. Let it combine while you slice and mash the flesh of the avocado.
Add to it the finely chopped chilli with the seeds, the finely minced garlic, the coriander and then the tomato and onion. Squeeze in the juice of the second lime and season to taste.
Serve this with meat, fish and bean dishes with freshly made tortillas.
AVOCADO WITH SHRIMP
Serves 3 – makes a great lunch dish or entree
1 tsp mustard
1 egg
1 cup vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 large gherkin
3 Tbsp capers
1 large celery stalk
2 spring onions
1/2 cup parsley and coriander combined
2 cups cooked shrimp
3 avocados
Make a mayonnaise in a food processor, by first blending the mustard, egg and 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. Then, with the processor running, add the rest of the oil in a slow, steady stream, during which the mixture should combine and emulsify. Finally, add the juice of a lime or lemon and season to taste.
Add sour cream to about three-quarters of a cup of the mayonnaise and mix well.
Finely dice the gherkin, capers, celery, spring onions and herbs. Add these to the mayonnaise mixture. Combine well and then add the cooked shrimp. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour.
Slice the avocados in half and place two halves on each plate. Season and squeeze over lime juice, spoon the shrimp mixture over the avocado and serve.
AVOCADO SOUP
Serves 4
2 avocados
1 cup of plain unsweetened yoghurt
1 stick of celery
3 fat slices of peeled and seeded cucumber
2 spring onions
1 banana chilli or 1 anaheim chilli
1 green capsicum
1 cup of water
4 Tbsp of fresh herbs – coriander and mint are excellent
Peel and stone the avocados and chop into dice. Chop the vegetables and herbs and place everything in the food processor and process until smooth.
Chill and serve in tall glasses with freshly fried tortilla chips.
