Breakfast
Avocado Chile Tartines
Born in Los Angeles, the avocado tartine has become the new power breakfast. Some people fire it up with chili powder, cayenne, or Espelette pepper, but I like fresh serrano chiles.
Avocado Chile Tartines
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, or to taste
- 2 ripe avocados
- Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
- 4 slices of your favorite artisanal bread (each slice should be 6 to 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3⁄4 inch thick—cut the loaf on the diagonal to obtain large slices)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Maldon salt or coarse salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Recipe Steps
1: Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium-high. Be sure to have a fire-free safety zone in case the bread starts to burn.
2: Cut the serranos crosswise into paper-thin slices (for milder tartines, seed the chiles, then slice).
3: Meanwhile, halve the avocados, and pit, peel, and cut them lengthwise into 1⁄2-inch-wide slices. (Do this at the last minute so the avocado doesn’t discolor. If you want to do this more than 10 minutes ahead of time, squeeze fresh lime juice over the avocado slices to keep them from browning.)
4: Brush or scrape the grill grate clean and oil it well. Grill the bread slices as described in Step 2 on the facing page.
5: Transfer the toasted bread slices to a wire rack or a clean dishtowel (this keeps the bottoms from getting soggy). Shingle the avocado slices on top and dot with serrano slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
