Grilled avocado with pico de gallo and asparagus salad as a topping

• 2 Hass Avocados

For the Pico de Gallo:
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 green jalapeño
• 1 onion
• 1 small garlic clove
• Juice of 2 limes
• ½ handful of parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pinch of brown sugar

For the asparagus salad:
• 250 g white asparagus
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 dash of lemon juice
• Pepper
• Salt
• 6 dashes of white balsamic vinegar
• 10 g chives

For the Picco de Gallo, dice the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion and garlic and chop the parsley. Mix everything with lime juice, salt, pepper and a pinch of brown sugar. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours.

For the asparagus salad, wrap the asparagus spears in aluminum foil lined with baking paper with butter, salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Then cook on the grill at 160 °C over indirect heat for around 20 minutes until the asparagus is cooked through and a little caramelized. Unwrap, allow to cool and cut into 3 cm pieces. Season to taste with chopped chives, white balsamic vinegar and pepper.

The fat content of the avocado prevents it from sticking to the grill. Grill until a grill pattern is clearly visible. Turn horizontally by 45 degrees and grill for a further few minutes. However, it is better to grill for less time than for longer; the avocados should not turn black. Since the fruit can also be eaten raw, it is not necessary to cook it through; the heat should only warm up the avocado and give the fruit the grilled flavor.

Remove the avocado halves from the grill and garnish with the toppings.

Tip: A Hass avocado is ideal for grilling because it has a good fat content and a robust skin. You need to have a feel for temperatures and their effect on sensitive surfaces. You should check underneath from time to time while grilling to see how far the grill marks are. This way you don't run the risk of interrupting the cooking process. The most important thing when grilling an avocado is the cut. This should be as flat as possible so that the surface lies evenly on the grill bars. A serrated knife, as large as possible, is best for cutting the avocado exactly in half.

Want even more delicious avocado grill recipes?
FIRE&FOOD Issue 3-2020