Editor’s note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe from her cookbook, Latin Grilling. It’s part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious.
Salad greens are hard to come by in Cuban cooking. But an avocado salad—simply made by topping sliced avocado with red onion slices, olive oil, and vinegar—is both traditional and refreshing.
Cooking notes
Ingredients
Florida versus Hass avocados
Cubans tend to use Florida avocados since these are more widely available in the Caribbean and in Miami. They are larger than the California or Hass variety, and they remain green when ripe, in contrast to Hass, which are dark green, almost black, when ripe.
Florida avocados have a milder flavor due to their higher water content, and they are ready to eat as soon as they yield to pressure when squeezed lightly.
Techniques
Marinating onions
Allowing raw onions to marinate in vinegar or another highly acidic liquid mellows out the strong flavor and softens its texture.
Slicing an avocado
Start by slicing the avocado in half lengthwise with a large knife and, once you hit the seed in the center, move your knife along its perimeter. Open the avocado by gently twisting and pulling on each half.
Remove the seed by tapping it with the sharp edge of your knife, causing the knife to become wedged into the seed. Twist the knife a bit to dislodge the seed from the flesh.
Finally, slice the avocado by taking the tip of your knife and drawing straight lines through the flesh of each avocado half, making sure the tip of the knife reaches the skin of the avocado. The closer the lines, the thinner the slices. Use a spoon to scoop out the sliced avocado.
Advance preparation
The onions can be left marinating up to a few days in advance. However, while the oil and vinegar help slow down the browning of the avocado’s flesh, it’s best to slice the avocado shortly before serving.
