Avocado Toast
Ingredients
the basics
- 2 slices sturdy bread (sourdough or country loaf)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt plus flaky salt to finish
optional additions
- 1–2 tsp olive oil
- flaky salt
- 1/2 tsp (or more) fresh lemon or lime juice
- pepper (freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes)
Instructions
the basic method
- Toast two slices of bread
- Scoop the avocado into a bowl.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- Mash the avocado lightly with a fork.
- Taste the avocado and add more salt if needed.
- Spread the avocado thickly over the hot toast.
- Serve immediately.
optional improvements
- Toast two slices of bread (by adding 1–2 teaspoons of butter or olive oil to a cast iron skillet over medium heat, swirling it around to coat the pan, adding the bread, and flipping the bread often to brown both sides - about 2 to 3 minutes, While not necessary, toasting the bread in a skillet with butter or olive oil instead of toasting in the toaster with improve the depth of flavor.)
- Scoop the avocado into a bowl.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- Consider adding pepper, and make a choice of which pepper you prefer. If it's white pepper or cayenne, add 1/4 teaspoon of one or the other at this point. If it's ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, you'll want to sprinkle it over the top of the avocado toast later.
- Add fresh lemon or lime juice ( ... if you want to - it's not necessary, but citrus cuts through the richness of avocado's fat, it sharpens flavor, it adds aromatics, and it creates contrast. Don't go wild - start with perhaps 1/2 teaspoon, taste, and add more as you go.)
- Mash the avocado (and other ingredients) lightly with a fork.
- Taste the avocado and add more salt (or other flavorings) if needed.
- After the bread is toasted, maybe rub it with a raw garlic clove (when you rub raw garlic on hot toast, the rough surface acts like a grater, the heat releases the garlic’s aromatic oils, you get fragrance without harsh raw-garlic burn, and it perfumes the bread without overpowering it.)
- Spread the avocado thickly over the hot toast.
- If you want, drizzle olive oil over the avocado.
- Consider sprinkling flaky salt over the avocado.
- If you've opted to add either ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, sprinkle it over the avocado.
- Serve immediately.