Written by: Layla Khoury-Hanold
I love making guacamole at home, but it’s usually a simplified recipe that never tastes as good as restaurant guacamole. When I had chef David Guzmán’s guac, I had to know his secret. Guzmán, whom conducts cooking classes inspired by his Puerto Rican heritage and international travels, whipped up some of the most delicious guacamole I’ve ever experienced, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. Turns out, it contains the usual suspects—avocados, lime, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos—and one unusual item: orange. This citrus unlocks the secret to the most flavourful, most balanced-tasting guacamole. Here’s why, plus tips on how to take your own homemade guac next-level.
Chef David Guzmán was first inspired to tweak his guacamole recipe after dining at Boudro’s, a Texas bistro in San Antonio. “I saw a sign at the restaurant that said they held the Guinness Book of World Records for best guacamole. Had to try it!” Guzmán says. “I had to agree with the assessment! It was delicious and made tableside in a traditional and large molcajete.” Guzmán was surprised and intrigued to see the server adding freshly squeezed orange juice along with lime juice to the avocados.
“The orange adds a sweetness to the dish, enhances the acidity from the limes and the creaminess of the avocados,” Guzmán says. “Overall, it simply balances all the ingredients in the dish and elevates the guacamole to next level.”
How much orange juice are we talking? Guzmán adds ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice to 8 small avocados (or 6 medium or 4 large avocados), which he coarsely mashes with ½ diced red onion, 1 diced Roma tomato, 2 diced jalapenos (or serranos), a handful of chopped cilantro, 2 juiced limes and 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, to taste (he likes his guacamole to have pronounced salt).
The quality of the ingredients is paramount, Guzmán says. The orange must be sweet (no tart or bland citrus, please), the limes should be tart, the tomato should be firm and the avocados must be ripe yet firm. Guzman offers a hint on how to select the best avocados for making guacamole. “Gently push down on the smallest part at the top of avocado where the stem was located,” he says. “If it does not give, it is not ripe. If it caves in too easily, it is overripe. It should give a little but resist a little.”
Since ingredients vary, be sure to taste them before you prep, and taste as you go. “Adjust the balance of tart, spicy, salty and a hint of sweetness with the smooth texture of the avocados,” Guzmán says. You’ll know you’ve got your own record-breaking guac on your hands when the final taste progression goes like this: “Your first taste should be the avocado, then the salt, then the tart, then the hint of sweetness and finally the kick of the jalapenos should definitely say hello,” Guzman says.
