IPA Guacamole
Excerpt from The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook (Whitecap Books) by David Ort
Mashed avocado has a silky texture and rich flavour that go well with the punch of a hoppy India pale ale. Tomatoes add some sweetness and a hint of acid that bring the flavours together. If plum tomatoes aren’t in season, use an equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips.
Recommended beer
American-style India pale ale
Hop Head, Tree Brewing (British Columbia)
Serves: 6–8
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour for flavours to meld
2 ripe avocados, pitted
1/3 cup (80 mL) American-style India pale ale
3 Tbsp (45 mL) lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 plum tomatoes, quartered, cored and diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne
kosher salt
Cut the avocado flesh into large chunks with the tip of a sharp chef’s knife. Scoop the flesh out of the skin and transfer to a small mixing bowl. Toss with the beer and lime juice. Mash with a potato masher until it is almost smooth. Add tomatoes, onion, cumin, cayenne and kosher salt.
Guacamole is best served at cool room temperature and needs an hour after being mixed for the flavours to come together. If you make it ahead or want to store leftovers, place a piece of plastic wrap directly in contact with the surface of the guacamole. The only way to stop it from browning is to keep it away from air. (The acid in the lime juice also helps.) The idea that sinking the pits into the dip does anything is a kitchen myth. If anything, they probably hurt by lifting the plastic wrap away from the surface of the guacamole.
I mistakenly reported that David doesn’t used lime juice – in fact he does. I thought that the two liquids would make it runny, but they are in such small quantities that it was not too much for the texture or the flavour.