Tony’s Take on Guacamole at Tropicana

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe avocados (Hass preferred)
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus sprigs for garnish)
• 1 tbsp Plantain Vinegar (Sub: Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 1/4 tsp brown sugar)
• 1-2 tbsp Chili Oil (store-bought or homemade)
• 12 Corn Tortillas (for chips)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Lime Zest Finishing Salt (Salted Perfection)

Instructions

1. First, let's handle the chips. Stack your corn tortillas and cut them into quarters to make triangles. Heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F.
2. Fry the tortilla triangles in batches. Don't crowd the pan! We want golden and crisp, not soggy and sad. Drain them on a wire rack or paper towels and hit them immediately with a pinch of kosher salt while they're hot.
3. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Now, the menu says 'puree,' but we want a texture that tells a story. Mash it until it's creamy but still has a few honest lumps.
4. Fold in the diced red onion and chopped cilantro. Here is the game changer: add the Plantain Vinegar (or your cider vinegar hack). This acid wakes up the whole dish.
5. Taste it. Add a pinch of kosher salt if needed, but remember we have a salty finish coming.
6. Spoon the guacamole into a serving bowl. Use the back of your spoon to create little swoops and valleys—we need places for that oil to pool.
7. Drizzle the chili oil generously over the top. It should look like liquid rubies on green velvet.
8. Garnish with a fresh sprig of cilantro right in the center.
9. Final touch: Sprinkle the Lime Zest Finishing Salt over the guacamole and the chips for that bright citrus pop.
10. Serve immediately with those warm, homemade chips. DUNZO!