Before I got married, I had always imagined myself to be something akin to Keith Richards in the kitchen. You know, all “bang the sausages in a pan, let the f*ckers rock gently” whilst I swig from a bottle of something cheeky and listen to David Bowie.
My husband, however informs me that in the kitchen I resemble more of a pyjama wearing Hitler, screaming with rage because the poor sod hasn’t handed me a pan quickly enough (I’m pregnant, and therefore not allowed to pick up anything as heavy as my cast iron Le Creuset pans…)
Which was strange to discover, because cooking is so therapeutic to me. I am rarely more relaxed than when I am chopping something or stirring something and I’m in my element preparing 15 things at once before the sauce splits.
And it’s not just the cooking. I love to research ingredients, grow them, forage or shop for them. I delight in finding a supplier for fresh samphire in the way that my peers delight in sourcing bargainous shoes on eBay.
This week, the ingredient that I am the most obsessed with is the humble avocado. It’s a marmite of a thing – people seem to either love it or hate it, and preparing it seems to be limited to guacamole. Which is lovely, but let’s face it mashing an avocado with some chillies, lime juice and coriander isn’t particularly worthy of the term #foodspiration. It’s so cliche!
And so the application of the avocado for maximum deliciousness is my mission for this blog. I can guarantee that none of them will turn you into a Kitchen Hitler.
Step one. The Salad.
In my mind, there is no greater partner in a salad for avocado as the pink grapefruit. One of the best meals I ever had in Paris was an avocado and pink grapefruit salad with a raspberry wine vinaigrette that would have brought tears to your eyes. It’s a taste sensation.
Step two. The indulgent snack.
There is very little in this life, that cannot be made better by being covered in tempura batter. The day I introduced my husband to tempura battered bacon, is the day that I knew that with this snack I could convince him to do anything. ANYTHING.
With this in mind, I give you the tempura avocado with ginger aioli.
Step three: The Soup.
Yes, SOUP! Much like the potato adds a velvet texture to soup, the humble avocado creates the thickest, silkiest, most marvellous creamy texture and adds delicate flavour. Pea and avocado soup is a personal favourite.
Step four: The side dish.
Potato dauphinoise is potato perfection. Truly. Of all the different serving suggestions – baked, fried, boiled, steamed, chipped, mashed, hasselbacked or hashed – I think the dauphinoise is hard to beat.
(I’m glossing over the fact that mashed potato is my favourite food here, to the degree that I considered sueing Bodger and Badger as a child for pastiching me)
The only thing which can make a dauphinoise better in my opinion, is to make it quicker to cook, and less reliant on cream.
The solution? Avocado dauphinoise.
Step five: The Pasta.
I love a good linguine, especially smothered in pesto. But despite my love of grinding pesto, there are days when you just want something quick and satisfying. Equally, there are some days when you crave a good thick cheesey sauce, but perhaps are on a diet?
Avocado makes a spectacular linguine sauce, with the texture of a the naughty cheese that you’re craving, and the added bonus of not being remotely naughty. Because avocado is a GOOD fat
Step six: The pudding.
I had a vegan come to stay with me last year, which made me panic slightly because I was planning on making a trio of chocolate mousses for dessert.
1) White chocolate mousse with layers of lemon mousse and lemon curd
2) Bitter chark chocolate with layers of mint and goats cheese cream
3) Milk chocolate with layers of salted caramel
The idea of my vegan friend being unable to sample these puddings of eroticism due to the blasted dairy content was completely tragic. I cried more tears for her poor vegan soul than I did when they cancelled Moonlighting.
As it turns out, my stubborn quest for making her a delicious vegan friendly chocolate mousse, caused me to discover that avocado makes the most unbelievably rich mousse texture. Studded with strawberries, this concoction is not only far quicker than whisking cream and egg whites and folding in melted chocolate, it’s also every bit as delicious.
So there you have it. How to be innovative with an avocado in six stages! If you want to try more avocado recipes, go to Everything Goes With Toast.
Okay as you’re preggars you’ll love the very simple, very nutritious way of salving your conscience as a mum.
Simply mash banana and avocada and you have banacado or avabanana
Either way it’s sweet and green and dense and suprisingly tasty. I looks great mushed around your six month old’s chops and it’s something you can grab from a supermarket/local greengrocers when you are out and about. It’s fast food.