Known to many as the cooling component of a Mexican meal, the avocado is so much more versatile, adding delicate, buttery nutrition to both sweet and savoury dishes.

Buying

Look for avocados that are plump, firm to the touch and unblemished. They should feel heavy for their size. Avoid any that are soft or discoloured.

Storing

Avocados should be handled carefully and stored in a single layer. Ripe avocados are best stored in the refrigerator, others at room temperature. To accelerate ripening, wrap avocados in newspaper and store in a dark place, or keep them with bananas. Drizzle cut avocado with lemon juice to prevent discolouring.

Eating

• Don’t cook avocados; rather add them to dishes just before serving.
• Avocados are classically enjoyed on warm toast with salt and pepper.
• Avocados match well with chilli, chives, citrus fruits, lemon grass and balsamic vinegar.
• Add fresh lemon or orange juice to mashed avocado.
• Make a sandwich with avocado, wholegrain mustard, basil and feta.
• Blend avocados with seasoned creme fraiche or horseradish and spread on bruschetta or serve with crudites.
• Make chunky guacamole with avocado, chopped red onion and tomato. Stir in some fresh coriander, lemon juice and sweet chilli sauce, and serve with nachos.

Avo, Caesar?

The irresistible allure of the avocado may have caused empires to crumble

Biltong, avocado and orange tartare

Serves 4 Easy 40 mins

To drink: Pinotage has a natural affinity for biltong. Try Beyerskloof, Kanonkop, Kaapzicht or L’Avenir. A shiraz blend such as La Motte, Fairview, Badenhorst or Rust en Vrede will also work well with this dish.

Biltong Tartare

• 250ml (1 cup) biltong, sliced
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 orange, segmented and diced
• 45ml (3 tbsp) spring onions, chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) wholegrain mustard
• 30ml (2 tbsp) orange juice
• 4 slices ciabatta, toasted
• 2 avocados, halved, skins on
• fresh celery shavings, to serve

1. For the tartare, gently toss together all the ingredients and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. To serve, place a slice of toast and half an avocado on each plate. Top with the tartare and the celery shavings.

Cook’s Tip

For extra zing, add some dried chilli flakes.

Chorizo and avocado panzanella salad

Serves 2 Easy 15 mins

To drink: This dish calls for shiraz, and South Africa produces so many world-class wines of this varietal. Try Camberley, Delheim, Eagle’s Nest or Mullineux and many others… check the red print in Platter.

Salad

• 1/2 a ciabatta loaf, torn into bite-sized chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh rosemary
• 15ml (1 tbsp) avocado oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 250ml (1 cup) chorizo sausages, sliced
• 250ml (1 cup) mixed salad leaves
• 125ml (V2 cup) mange tout
• 3/4 avocado, sliced

Dressing

• 1/4 avocado
• 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh cream
• 15ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• avocado oil, for thinning

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. For the salad, toss the bread chunks with the garlic and rosemary, drizzle with the oil and season. Bake until golden and crispy, about 7 minutes.
3. Fry the chorizo until slightly browned and transfer to a bowl.
4. Gently mix in the toasted bread and the rest of the salad ingredients.
5. For the dressing, whisk the avocado, cream and balsamic with a hand blender until smooth.
6. Season and mix in enough oil to achieve a pouring consistency.
7. Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

Avocado with smoked salmon, cream cheese and asparagus

Serves 2 Easy 20 mins plus extra for chilling

To drink: A really rich chardonnay, viognier or semillon will handle the richness of the avo and the oily smokiness of the salmon. Try Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay, Jordan Nine Yards, De Wetshof Bateleur, Ataraxia or Springfield Methode Ancienne.

2 thick slices smoked salmon

• 250ml (1 cup) sweet chilli cream cheese
• 5ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
• 15ml (1 tbsp) milk
• 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh chives, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 10 fresh green asparagus tops, lightly blanched
• 1 avocado, halved
• fresh watercress, to serve
• rye bread, to serve

1. Line 2 small rectangular dishes with plastic wrap, leaving some plastic hanging over the sides.
2. Place the salmon slices on the bottom of the dishes.
3. Blend the cream cheese, lemon juice, milk and chives together and lightly season. Divide the mixture between the two dishes, spreading it evenly on top of the salmon.
4. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over to enclose the salmon and cream cheese and place in the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes.
5. Turn the dishes over on serving plates and gently unmould the salmon and cream cheese, removing the plastic wrap. Serve with the asparagus, half an avocado, watercress and rye bread.

Creamy avocado and horseradish cups with scrambled eggs

Serves 2 Easy 30 mins
Serve these for breakfast or without the eggs as a welcome snack.

To drink: To match the richness of the avocado, the bite of the horseradish and the texture of the scrambled eggs, one of our great South African sauvignon blancs will do really well. Try Fleur du Cap, Lomond, Tokara or De Grendel.

Toasted breadcrumbs

4 slices white bread, crusts removed

Creamy avocado

• 1 avocado
• 5ml (1 tsp) horseradish cream
• 45ml (3 tbsp) creme fraiche
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• spring onions, chopped, to serve

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. For the toasted bread cups, flatten the slices of bread with a rolling pin. Loosely press each slice into the openings of a muffin tin. Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. For the creamy avocado, whisk all the ingredients with a hand blender until smooth.
4. Whisk the milk into the eggs and season. Scramble in a frying pan over low heat until cooked and creamy.
5. Fill the toasted cups with the creamy avocado, sprinkle with the spring onion and serve with the scrambled eggs.

Text by Illanique Van Aswegen. Photographs by Adel Ferreira from Foto Factory. Article was taken from the October 2010 edition of Food and Home magazine.