Ingredients
85g/3oz sesame seeds
110g/4oz unblanched almonds
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juice only
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp tamari soy sauce (optional)
pinch of ground black pepper
15ml/3 tbsp water
2 perfect avocados - ½ per person
100g/4oz alfalfa sprouts, rinsed and drained
Method
1. Reserve a spoonful of the sesame seeds and roast the rest in a dry pan for 5 minutes.
2. Put everything else, except the avocado and alfalfa, into a blender or food processor. Whiz on full power until you have a mayonnaise-like sauce. You may need to add a little extra water or lemon juice.
2. Cut the avocados in half and remove the stones. Place the cut sides down and score the skin with the tip of a sharp knife down the middle. You should now be able to gently pull off the skins in two pieces, leaving the pear halves intact.
3. Divide the alfalfa sprouts evenly between four serving plates, flatten the mounds a little and gently loosen them. Place an avocado half on top of the sprouts and cut it across into slices, holding it together with the other hand. Push gently to fan out the slices evenly. Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Serve as a lunch of first course.
Note:
As always, choosing the perfect avocado is the difference between heaven and dreadful disappointment. Choose them evenly green and giving to slight pressure at the stem end. The black knobbly type, or Hass, is trickier to judge as the skins are very hard even when the fruit is soft inside. If they are hard in the shop, buy them anyway and wait 3-4 days before making this dish, while the avocado ripens to perfection in your kitchen.
