Over the past 30 years, avocado toast has been the subject of culty obsession, disbelieving derision, and often both at once. This mashed-fruit-on-bread has turned into an edible example of Instagram culture, and culinary appropriation and gentrification. A brief history: Avocado toast became a thing in 2011, thanks to Jessica Koslow’s all-day Los Angeles café, Sqirl. Koslow had adopted the toast (and good vibes) from another all-day cafes in Australia. And before all this, avocado glut plus tortilla was so ubiquitous a snack in pre-colonial Mexico (bread was introduced by European colonists during the 1500s), that it seemed silly to call it a trend, let alone develop a recipe.
Ingredients
2 slices seeded bread
1 ripe avocado
2 lemon or lime wedges
1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, aleppo pepper, or freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Toast the bread until it’s a deep brown and very crisp. Halve and pit the avocado. Use a paring knife to thinly slice the flesh lengthwise, then a spoon to scoop it out. Mound each half onto each toast and use the back of the spoon to smush and fan out the slices. Squeeze lemon or lime over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes, and finish with olive oil.