Photo

The Restaurant Takeaway column is devoted to restaurant dishes you can make in your own kitchen, tweaked for home cooks. Visit Cooking for more guacamole recipes.



I’d always thought that when it comes to excellent guacamole, less is more, and that the best versions of the dip are always the most basic. Then I tried the green pea guacamole at ABC Cocina, and I changed my mind.

Adding fresh English peas to what is an otherwise fairly traditional guacamole is one of those radical moves that is also completely obvious after you taste it. The peas add intense sweetness and a chunky texture to the dip, making it more substantial on the chip. They also intensify the color of the green avocado — and help the guacamole stay that way. Pea guacamole keeps its bright hue in the fridge for a few days without turning brown around the edges. A good dose of lime juice helps this cause.

The dish, a collaboration between ABC Cocina’s chef-owner, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and his chef de cuisine, Ian Coogan, is the best kind of greenmarket tweak upon a classic. It’s just the thing to make now for a summer party while fresh green peas are still in season. You can also make it year round with frozen peas. If using frozen peas, you don’t even need to blanch them first. Just thaw and toss them in the blender with the other ingredients. I don’t know that they’d ever do this at ABC Cocina, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a little creative license at home.

