Deconstructed Guacamole Salad

As a rule, I hate deconstructed food. Sure. I thought it was the bee's knees back in 2007. Now I find it utterly obnoxious. And on most occasions, when presented with something bearing no resemblance to what I ordered, rather than being amazed, I must fight the urge to send a throwing star hurling through the kitchen.

So yes, I am aware of the irony with which I share this recipe. That said, I also love guacamole. And while its transcendent when paired with blue corn tortilla chips, I don't want to eat a giant scoop of it on a bed of lettuce. And so I've come up with this delightful compromise:

Deconstructed Guacamole Salad

Start with a bed of lettuce. For the purposes of this salad, I love a boston bibb. Cut an avocado in half; remove the pit. Cupping half in the palm, segment with a teaspoon; scoop the segments onto the center of the lettuce bed. Surround with 5-6 grape tomatoes sliced in half. Take a shallot, cut paper thin rings. Scatter 10-12 shallot rings over the salad. Slice a jalapeno or serrano (depending on your heat tolerance) into thin rings. Evenly distribute across the salad based on how spicy you want it; I typically use 6-7 rings. Mince about 1 teaspoon of cilantro and scatter. Cut a lime in half; squeeze the juice over the top. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.

And that's it. It is the same ingredients and roughly the same proportions I'd use to make guacamole. But as individual components, it makes a wonderful salad that pairs well with gazpacho for a light lunch, or a starter for a latin or seafood dinner.