An avocado is a fruit that comes from the persea americana tree. It is grown in warm climates, especially in Mexico and California. Although avocados are technically fruit, they have a savory flavor that make many people consider them vetables. Avocado is often used in its raw form in sandwiches, on salads, and pureed into a guacamole dip or spread. A dish that calls for cooking is fried avocado, an appetizer in which sliced avocado is coated and briefly cooked in hot oil.
Since fried avocado is prepared by heating avocado in hot oil, it is generally recommended to select firm ripe avocados to use for the dish. Avocados that are overly ripe may be too soft and become mushy after being fried. To determine if an avocado is the optimal ripeness to withstand frying, many cooks advise gently squeezing the fruit. Firm ripe avocados may slightly yield to the touch, while unripe ones will be hard to the touch and overly ripe fruit may yield a great deal to the touch.
Fried avocado is typically made with slices of raw avocado. Preparing an avocado for frying requires peeling off the outer exterior and removing the inner pit. The fruit can then be cut into as many slices as preferred, but a common size for the recipe is about six to eight slices per each avocado.
The outside coating that is applied to the avocado slices before frying may vary depending on the exact recipe. Some versions call for dipping the avocado slices in egg or soaking them in a liquid, such as buttermilk, before coating them in flour, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs. This type of coating generally produces a thin, crispy outer coating after being fried. For a thicker coating, some cooks make a batter by mixing together a liquid, commonly beer or milk, along with flour, and seasonings, and dip the avocado slices into the batter before cooking.
Vegetable oil tends to be the most common type of oil used for frying the coated avocado slices because it can withstand the high temperature that are required in order to get the crispiest outer coating. Lighter forms of oil, such as olive oil, cannot handle higher temperatures without smoking. Since the avocado itself does not necessarily need to be cooked through, the coated slices are generally fried for one to three minutes, or just long enough to cook the outer coating to a golden brown shade and crunchy texture. Fried avocado is often served with salsa or sour cream as a dipping sauce.
