Making grilled avocado is simple; this dish just consists of the avocado vegetable cut into slices, or smaller pieces, and cooked on a grill. This can be presented in various different ways to appeal to a culinary audience. Some restaurants serve this kind of dish, but it’s also popular in some communities as part of a home-cooked meal.
A unique vegetable, the avocado has a lot of protein and other dietary elements. That makes it a prime candidate for substituting for meats or other proteins. Cooks recognize the nutritional values of the avocado, as well as its taste appeal. This is what drives its use in grilled avocado dishes, and other presentations. The distinctive texture of the avocado is another selling point, though the use of this vegetable is limited by its narrow window of ripeness, and the difficulty of picking ripe avocados without cutting into them.
In many cases, cooks will cut the avocado into relatively thin slices to put on the grill. Other presentations include whole halves of the avocado grilled on one side. With the seed or nut taken out, these avocado halves can hold broth or sauce for more complex culinary displays.
Cooks may use various items to coat the avocado before grilling. Olive oil or balsamic vinegar are popular for use in this dish. Some cooks also use lime juice or other similar flavorings. Powdered or cut herbs or spices can be put into these marinades.
Grilled avocado can be garnished with other brightly colored vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, or carrots, for more visual appeal. The dish can be added to sandwiches or served on its own. Alternatives to this dish include guacamole, where the avocado is mashed and blended with other ingredients. Either grilled pieces of avocado or guacamole are used as an accompaniment for Latin American foods like quesadillas, tacos, burritos or enchiladas.
In cooking grilled avocado, the technique involves knowing how long to grill them, and at what temperature. This provides the attractively charred presentation without burning the food. There’s also the need to keep the texture of the avocado sufficiently firm to allow it to rest on the grill without falling apart and dropping to the flames below. This dish, while not an extraordinarily complex one, therefore requires some considerable skill on the part of the cook.