August 29, 2010

a different kind of toast

There are few things in life as simple and utterly delightful as avocado toast. Maybe it’s because I’m from California—and we all know, in cooking, “California” is synonymous with “avocado”—but I could eat avocado everyday and with just about everything. In fact, I will try and find just about any excuse to add a bit of avocado into any dish. However, not until my first visit to Café Gitane, a local French-North African café, did it dawn on me that I didn’t need another dish as a vehicle for my avocado consumption. Hidden in their menu of “petits plats” is “Avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, chili flakes on seven grain toast” – or, simply put, avocado toast. It was a revelation. I had never dared just slap a thick slab of avocado on bread and call it a day. It seemed too decadent to indulge in avocado so unabashedly, and yet it was divine.

I have since recreated the Café Gitane toasts habitually. However, I came across a variation on one of my favorite blogs, The Wednesday Chef, which, in a stroke of genius, added a thin layer of dijonnaise. This recipe seemed the perfect hors d’oeuvre for my birthday party, something for friends to snack on as I pulled together the meal— a quick and easy starter, yet sophisticated beyond its simplicity. It was a hit. My guests agreed that the hint of mustard was the key, and I’ll be including it in my toasts from now on. I even made a convert in my friend Maggie who, when I asked if she’d like a second toast, responded, “You mean I can have another one?”

Avocado toast

Adapted from Food52 (via The Wednesday Chef) and Café Gitane

This toast is best on the densest, nuttiest seven grain bread, sometimes called “health” bread, you can find.

  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 8 slices seven grain bread, toasted
  • 2 small, ripe avocados
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Maldon or other flakey salt

In a small bowl, blend the mustard and mayonnaise. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocado with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Spread dijonnaise mixture on toasts. Spoon avocado mixture on top of dijonnaise; spread to cover toasts to the edges. Sprinkle with a few flakes of crushed red pepper and Maldon salt. Serve immediately

Serves 4 for a light meal, and 8 as a starter.