Their recipe has all the classic ingredients - avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and onion.
But instead of diced fresh tomatoes, their unique spin is to use sun-dried tomatoes.
Chef Daniel Flores, who oversees Babalu’s culinary program, recommends the following tips when making guacamole at home.
Daniel offered two tricks for selecting avocados at the store.
First, break off the stem and look underneath. If it is bright green, it’s ready to eat. If it’s brown, put it back down and look for another avocado.
Also, the peel of your avocado should have a little give to it. It should not be too soft and not too firm.
Daniel always emphasizes that high-quality ingredients are key to a delicious guacamole. Fresh is always best, including using freshly squeezed lime juice versus bottled lime juice.
At the restaurant, Babalu offers two options to customize your guacamole you can also use at home.
For extra heat, add some diced jalapenos.Chopped up crispy bacon gives a smoky flavor.
To prevent browning, he said to add a little lime juice on top and store the guacamole in an air-tight container. For extra protection, cover the guacamole with plastic wrap to limit the amount of oxygen that it comes in contact with.
And most importantly, don’t forget a margarita to wash it down.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
Babalu has two locations in Memphis: 2115 Madison Avenue in Midtown and 6450 Poplar Avenue in East Memphis. For more information, visit eatbabalu.com.
Babalu’s Guacamole
- 2 Hass avocados
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon sun-dried tomato
- 1/2 Kosher salt
- Optional: 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño and/or 1 tablespoon diced bacon
Remove the meat from the avocados and place in a bowl. Add the green onions, red onions, lime juice, cilantro, sun-dried tomatoes, and the jalapeno and bacon if so desired.
Sprinkle the salt over all the ingredients.
Mash together with a spoon, large fork, or potato masher. Keep the mixture somewhat chunky.
Serve with chips.
Yield: 4 servings
