Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Guasacaca - Venezuela's tastiest sauce


Guasacaca is probably one of the finest sauces ever invented. It has a cool name that rolls off the tongue and a taste that makes your mouth go ñum ñum!

It's a simple but staggeringly tasty combination of avocado, fresh parsley and coriander, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, oil and vinegar.

And it's quick and easy to make. You just throw the ingredients in the blender and whoozh until you get the consistency you want: thicker for dips, runnier for drizzling on empanadas and meat.

In Venezuela, guasacaca is eaten with barbecued meat from the parilla - beef, sausage, chicken, and my favourite morcilla (black pudding).

Unlike a lot of US chefs, George knows the difference between Venezuelan guasacaca and Mexican guacamole. He was born in Caracas to Armenian parents, before moving to New York, where he lives today.

The only change I would make to George's excellent recipe is to replace the olive oil with corn oil, to keep it 100 per cent authentic.

If you have a family recipe for guasacaca you want to share just add a comment below.

George Duran's Guasacaca Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 green sweet peppers, seeded, deveined, and roughly chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
2 cloves garlic
Half a bunch of fresh parsley leaves
Half a bunch fresh cilantro leaves
A third cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Preparation:
Put everything except the olive oil into a food processor and process until mostly smooth. Add the olive oil in a stream with the processor running and process until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve sauce at room temperature with meats, fish, or vegetable chips. If made in advance, store, covered, in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before serving.

11 comments:

Ryan said...

Thanks so much for posting this recipe...made it for my (Venezuelan) wife and she said it brought her a little bit of home in Seattle.

SilviaY said...

Russel, all your blogs about Venezuelan food, music, and life are impressive. I think you know more about my country than me... and I was born and raised in Venezuela! I really enjoy and appreciate it now that I'm far away from home. Thanks for sharing this information and for loving my country :)

n Blackburn said...

Hello from Canada.Every year we go to Margaria island Ven. Your recipes brought back memories, they are delicious...and I`m hitting the kitchen right now to make a Guasacaca. Muchas gracias

vergueishon said...

Love your blogs, esp. the music blog. Never ceases to amaze me how well you keep up with current "criollo" music scene.

Just one thing I'll add about guasacaca. It's something you always find at steakhouses in Venezuela. Therefore, anything served there is game for it, including arepitas, bollos and, my favorite, yuca. Riiiiicoooooo! =)

Loo-marie Khan said...

Wonderful Blog I'm a born Trinidadian raised in Venezuela........It is good to mention that In venezuela Guasacaca is put on almost anything you can thing about.....including hot dogs and hamburgers........

Anonymous said...

Hi, thank so much for the recipe, and I think that morcilla is blood sausage

Anonymous said...

Hi, thank you soo much for the recipe, and I think morcilla is blood sausage

Anonymous said...

How many servings is this? Thanks.

foodforme said...

This stuff is the dankest sauce there is. Amazing. I put it on my cereal . And im a white boy from PA

foodforme said...

Btw it makes about 32 oz. Its alot. I.make half for me and my wife.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am a Venezuelan living in Canada for many years.
Thanks for the recipe. George did a great job and made a nice video. I prepare a Guasacaca with NO avocado, with white vinegar instead balsamic or wine vinegar and vegetable oil but not olive oil. In general white vinegar and corn oil are not regarded as fine as balsamic vinegar and olive oil respectively but I think that the former are more authentic for Guasacaca sauce.
Thanks.
Jorge