You know how, when you aren’t exactly sure you want to do something, you put it off—turning instead to “must do” projects like sorting the dog’s toys by size and color?
This week I’ve been nagged by the feeling that I needed to make this (in)famous guacamole with peas recipe from The New York Times. I wrote about it here a week ago when I posted a recipe, also from the New York Times, for a wonderful traditional guacamole. (Here is that link: https://bluecayenne.com/guacamole-give-peas-chance)
To remind you, The New York Times posted the guacamole with peas recipe on Twitter in 2015, after initially publishing the recipe in 2013 in Melissa Clark’s column in their newspaper. The original recipe came from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef-owner of ABC Cocina, an upscale and well-reviewed restaurant in New York. The 2013 recipe didn’t cause a stir, but, when the Twitter recipe was published, the Internet exploded. “Don’t #$!** mess with guacamole!” was the message that came through loud and clear. Despite getting rave reviews from the likes of Zagat’s James Mulch and New York Magazine restaurant critic Adam Platt, guacamole with peas was a decided bad boy among guacamole aficionados. One Twitter writer, obviously a serious student of history, wrote: “Peas in guacamole?! We fought two world wars and invented a space program so we could have this world? WTF.” Even President Obama waded into the controversy: “respect the nyt, but not buying peas in guac. onions, garlic, hot peppers. classic.”
I guess I kind of agree with the guac purists. Guacamole is a pretty iconic dish. That explains, I guess, my hesitancy to begin blanching the peas, mashing the avocados, and <gulp!> mixing them together. (Yes. The recipe does have avocados as an ingredient.)
But, you know me, I like to live on the edge. So, yesterday, I decided to tackle the recipe.
It turned out a bit lighter, sweeter and grassier (is that a word?) than regular guacamole. I didn’t finish the whole bowl of guacamole in one sitting, so I stored it in the refrigerator overnight and it didn’t discolor. (That’s always good.) Also, I liked the crunch of the sunflower seeds better on the second day when they were a bit less crunchy and a bit more chewy.
And the verdict is? Good. Very good. But, then again, I’ve always liked bad boys.
Here is the recipe. A link the original recipe appears at the bottom of this post.
49 minPrep Time
49 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 pound fresh or frozen peas (I used frozen)
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers
- 2 T. packed cilantro leaves (chopped)
- 3/4 t. salt (more as needed)
- 3 large avocados
- 2 scallions (white only, sliced as thin as possible)
- zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 1/2 lime
- 1 T. toasted sunflower seeds
- Tortilla chips (for serving)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
- Flaky sea salt (for serving)
Instructions
- Blanche peas in boiling water for about one minute (until al dente). Drain and immediately transfer peas into a bowl of ice water.
- Broil one of the jalapeños until it is completely charred. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Then, remove the charred skin from the jalapeño using a paper towel or the back of a knife. Remove seeds and mince jalapeño. Set aside.
- Drain the peas. Reserve two tablespoons of peas for garnish and puree the remainder in your food processor along with roasted jalapeno, minced raw jalapeno, cilantro and 1/4 t. salt. Continue to process until mixture is almost smooth but still a little chunky.
- In a serving bowl, combine mashed avocado, scallions, lime zest, lime juice and remaining 1/2 t. salt with the pea puree. Adjust salt and lime juice as needed and garnish with fresh peas, sunflower seeds and flaky sea salt. Servie with tortilla chips and lime wedges.
Notes
The original recipe called for e small ripe avocados. I used three large ripe avocados.
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