I stumbled upon grilling avocados when trying to justify my impulse purchase of a cast-iron grill pan, and my life hasn’t been the same since. Grilling imbues the avocado with a rich, creamy complexity that it does not otherwise have. You can achieve close to the same thing with baking, but without some charring, it is just not exactly right. This recipe can be achieved on a grill, grill appliance, or a grill pan.
YIELD: 1 serving
The Stuff:
1 tin sardines packed in olive oil
½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 avocado
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
hot sauce, to taste
What to Do:
1 Drain the oil from the sardines into a mixing bowl. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, turmeric, onion powder, and pepper to the oil and mix. Add the sardines into the marinade and coat well, but be gentle so you don’t break them up too much. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
2 Heat a grill pan to medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until the pan is heated through. Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and carefully extract the flesh with a spoon.
3 Grill the avocado flesh and sardines until visible but light charring occurs along the grill lines. Flip, and allow the other side to cook.
4 Transfer the sardines and avocado to a plate, add the tablespoon of ricotta to the avocado, and drizzle with hot sauce of choice.