Weekly Recipe: Guacamole by Chef Lorena Garcia

Holy Guacamole! No matter the season, occasion or time of day, guacamole is a classic center-of-the table staple.

Maybe you've made your own guacamole before, but you've certainly not served it like celebrity Chef Lorena Garcia does. Her restaurant Chica, with locations in Miami and Las Vegas, keeps customers coming back for this healthy and delicious side. It'll have your taste buds tingling, and we've got the recipe.

Chef Garcia is known for her flavorful interpretations of Latin cuisine, offering a delicious fusion of classic techniques and Latin ingredients. Guests at Chica can explore all the different flavors of Latin American food in these unique but familiar dishes.

Garcia’s inventive plates have ranked her one of the nation’s top celebrity chefs. Now, we can eat like a celebrity with her famous house-made Guacamole recipe in our own homes.

See Also: Weekly Recipe: Classic Margarita by Rita Cantina's Adam Miller

“The key to this guacamole is in the technique," Garcia says. "By mashing the aromatic ingredients first, I release the essential oils, and it is like an explosion of freshness and exciting tastes. It takes just a minute to mash up the base, but the results are incredible."

As usual when making guacamole, chopping the fresh tomatoes, onions and cilantro is a meticulous part of the process. This particular recipe takes an extra step by chopping then mashing all of those ingredients together, turning them into a pureé. That's what makes this guacamole a real one-of-a-kind, guaranteed to excite everyone at your party.

“The herby creaminess of the guacamole works nicely with anything crunchy or bready, like telitas, tortilla chips, or Venezuelan Arepas," she says, "or for a healthy crunch; cucumber, celery and carrot sticks. It keeps for a few hours in the refrigerator—just stir before serving.”

Lorena Garcia’s House-made Guacamole

Ingredients

Puree Ingredients:

• Garlic
• Kosher salt
• Fresh cilantro
• Jalapeno

Guacamole Ingredients:

• Lime juice
• Vegetable oil
• Roma tomatoes, diced
• Red onions, diced
• Jalapenos, diced

Toppings

• 4 fl oz mashed avocados (guacamole)
• 1 garnish of micro cilantro
• 8 warm arepas
• 3 oz of plantain
• 3 oz of tortilla Chips

Method:

1. Combine all base ingredients and puree
2. Combine all Guacamole ingredients except avocado
3. Add base puree and combine
4. Add avocado and toss gently
5. Place two scoops of guacamole in a bowl
6. Add guacamole, arepas, plantain chips and tortilla chips to plate
7. Garnish guacamole with micro cilantro

Visit Chica restaurant in Miami or Las Vegas to taste these flavors for yourself, and follow Chef Lorena Garcia on Instagram for more delicious inspiration.