Classic Guacamole Recipe

The secret to this guacamole, the reason that it’s so alive with heat and flavor, is in its method. Instead of simply chopping onion, cilantro, and chile, and tossing them with avocado, I start by mashing those three ingredients along with a generous sprinkle of salt into an intensely flavored, bright green paste. Only then do I scoop out pieces of perfectly ripe avocado and toss it all together. The result is a bit like salad properly dressed in vinaigrette: Every creamy piece of avocado gets coated with the paste, so every bite starts with a pop of heat, salt, and herbs, and ends with the mellow, buttery flesh of the fruit. Sometimes, like the good lime-loving Mexico City guy that I am, I’ll add a spritz of lime juice right before I serve it. But imagine, this is guacamole so flavor-packed that the citrus squirt, a staple in most American versions, is optional.