Once in a while, someone will watch me cut an avocado and say, “Oh! So that’s how you do it!?”
Avocados can be daunting to deconstruct. Sure, if you’re making guacamole, you can simply cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. However, for salads and other dishes, keeping an avocado shape and creaminess is key.
This my preferred method of cutting avocados:
1. First off, the most important thing is choosing the right avocado. Ripe but firm is what you need. (Save your softer avocados for guacamole!)
2. Make sure you have a sharp knife that you’re very comfortable with. I prefer a paring knife or a small chef’s knife for cutting avocados.
3. Always work on a clean, dry surface. And when you cut anything, it’s a good idea to place a damp towel under your cutting board to keep it from moving around.
4. Holding the avocado in place on the cutting board, cut around the center, lengthwise. You should feel the bottom edge of your knife tapping gently on the pit inside. Rotate the avocado around slowly to move your knife completely around the pit until you have two clean halves, as shown in the picture above).
5. Hold the avocado half that contains the pit gently on the cutting board and use a small chef’s knife to remove it. Using a bit of force (but not too much), start with your knife slightly elevated and chop into the pit. Then gently lift the knife, and the pit should come with it. Use a towel to remove the pit from the knife.
6. Place both avocado halves round side up on the cutting board. Cut about 1/4-inch off of each end.
7. The skin can now be easily lifted off — sometimes in one piece, but it’s okay if it tears into bits as you peel.
8. Now you’re ready to slice the avocado. Place the halves round side up once again, and simply cut into the desired shapes and sizes.
9. Lifting your avocado slices off the cutting board can be challenging since they’re quite slippery. A large knife or a flat-bottomed, metal spatula will do the trick!
