Grilled Avocado with Ponzu Sauce Recipe

"These are kind of our war horse right now."

Servings: 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 12 hours

Ingredients

for the ponzu dressing:
1 ¾ cups|414 ml dark soy sauce
½ cup|120 ml granulated sugar
6 tablespoons|90 ml fresh squeezed lemon juice
6 tablespoons|90 ml fresh squeezed lime juice
¼ cup|60 ml yuzu juice
¼ cup|60 ml orange juice
2 tablespoons mirin
a few sheets of kombu, in small pieces
6 garlic cloves, grated

for the grilled avocados:
2 avocados (preferably Hass)
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce, plus more to taste
fresh grated wasabi root, to taste

Directions

1. To make the ponzu sauce, whisk all ingredients together except for kombu. In a bowl or container, add kombu and liquid and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Remove from fridge and strain kombu. Return liquid to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
2. To make the grilled avocados, heat a grill to maximum heat. (At Mattei's Tavern, we grill directly over red oak.) Gently cut each avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Using a large tablespoon, remove the skin by scraping the back of the spoon along the interior wall of the avocado. Lightly brush each avocado with high-quality olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Place the avocados, flat-side down, on the grill until charred marks appear. (By rotating each half in one-quarter turns, you can achieve nice decorative grill marks.) Remove from grill when desired char becomes visible. Remember, you are not actually cooking the avocado, but simply transforming the texture and flavor.
3. Finish each avocado by filling the pit cavity with ponzu sauce, and serve with grated fresh wasabi on the side.

From Chef's Night Out: Raj Parr

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