Spicy Pistachio Guacamole

To be called guacamole, a dip should be mostly avocado and have a little salt in it. After that, there’s a lot of room for experimentation. A Mexican restaurant we frequent recently started serving a pineapple-bacon guacamole that’s pretty good. Just don’t put sour cream in it (please).

Spicy pistachio guacamole was one of the more memorable dishes we had at Empellon Cocina last year. Chef Alex Stupak makes his really spicy. I used 2 tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapeño, which makes this more of a medium, although the fresh jalapeño slices I garnished this with were extremely hot. That’s the thing about fresh jalapeño: it can be as mild as bell pepper or so hot it sets your mouth on fire.

The crunch of pistachios, plus their green color, make them a great addition to guacamole.

Spicy Pistachio Guacamole
Inspired by the guacamole at Empellon Cocina by Alex Stupak

4 avocados
Juice from 1 lime
1/3 cup finely diced sweet onion
2 tbsp. minced pickled jalapeño
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
¾ tsp. kosher salt
½ cup shelled roasted pistachio nuts
Sliced fresh jalapeño (for topping)

Peel avocados and scoop flesh into a large bowl. Add lime juice and mash with a fork until the mixture starts to get creamy but some chunks still remain. Add onion, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pistachios and stir to combine. Top with some sprigs of cilantro and a few slices of fresh jalapeño.