Grilled Avocados with Lemon Vinaigrette

I think of this recipe as avocado lemon butter. It makes a great appetizer - brown the avocado on the grill, then toast thin slices of bread. Put them on a platter with a spoon, set the platter in front of your guests, and stand back.
Or serve with crackers if you want an easier version that skips slicing and toasting bread. Or, serve with tortilla chips for a “scoop your own guacamole”.

One warning - the avocados have to be perfectly ripe for this recipe to work as a spread. The heat of the grill softens the avocados even more, turning them creamy and spreadable. But…there’s only so much the grill can do. If the avocados are still a little hard, they’re not going to soften enough to spread. Don’t give up, though - if you need to use the avocados today, grill them, squeeze the halves out of the skin, and slice them thin. That way, your diners can top their bread with slices of avocado.

Recipe: Grilled Avocados with Lemon Vinaigrette

Inspired By: Canal House Cooking Vol 8: Pronto by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Equipment

Grill (I love my Weber Kettle)

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados, halved, pit removed

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt to taste
1 Loaf of French bread, cut on the bias into ½ inch thick slices

Directions

1. Set grill up for direct medium heat

Set the grill up for direct medium heat. In my Weber kettle, I light a chimney ⅔ full of charcoal (about 45 coals), wait for it to be covered with gray ash, and then spread it in a loose single layer over half of the grill.

2. Brush halved avocados with vinaigrette

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, then brush the cut side of the avocados with a thin layer of vinaigrette. (Save the rest of the vinaigrette for later in the recipe.)

3. Grill avocados

Set the avocados on the grill, cut side down, over direct medium heat. Grill until the avocados have softened and are browned, about 4 minutes. Remove the avocados to a platter. Brush the cut side with a thick layer of vinaigrette and sprinkle with salt.

4. Toast the bread

Put the bread on the grill and toast on one side, about 1 minute. (Pay attention when the bread is on the grill - bread goes from toasted to burnt in a heartbeat.)

5. Serve

Fan the toasted bread out on a plate, set the avocados in the middle, and serve with a teaspoon for spreading.

Notes

If the avocados are dead ripe, and the toasted bread is firm, you can scoop the avocado with the bread, like a dip.

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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