In Mexico, guacamole is traditionally made in a molcajete, a mortar made from volcanic rock. It’s a lovely tradition, but since you probably don’t have a molcajete, use a bowl and fork or a potato masher. The admittedly more complicated variation that follows is superior but not nearly as quick.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 lime

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 scallion, 1 shallot, or bit of red onion, trimmed and chopped

　　1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, pure chile powder, like ancho or New Mexico, to taste, or a few pinches of cayenne

　　1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　3 medium-ripe avocados

　　

Step 1

Grate the lime zest and reserve; cut the lime into wedges. Put the lime zest, garlic, scallion, chile, and salt into a bowl and mash until the mixture is well combined. Add the cilantro and mash a few more times.

　　

Step 2

Cut the avocados in half and reserve the pits if you will not be serving the guacamole right away. Scoop the pulp into the bowl and mash, leaving a few chunks of avocado. Squeeze in the lime juice from the reserved lime wedges to taste.

　　

Step 3

Season with more salt and serve or tuck the pits back into the mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours (the pits will keep the guacamole from turning brown). Remove the pits before serving.

　　

Guacamole with Roasted Chiles

Step 4

Substitute 2 fresh poblano chiles for the serranos. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill or broiler; the fire should be quite hot. Roast the chiles until the skin is blackened and blistery, then cool, peel, stem, seed, and mince. Proceed as directed, substituting the roast chile for the serrano or jalapeño.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.