HOW TO GET INTO AN AVOCADO (without cutting your fingers off)

I realize "get into" an avocado is a super odd way to phrase that..but I mean..how else do you say it?

How to open and avocado? How to filet and avocado? 

Caaaaaan you tell I never went to culinary school? Oops.

Spoiler alert: this is a precursor to tomorrow's post- which is my delicious guacamole recipe!

I worked in a fine dining japanese restaurant for a little under 4 years, and if you've gone to eat sushi, you know they use a LOT of avocados. When we'd be setting up the restaurant I'd watch the sushi chefs deconstruct a billion of those things, with REALLY sharp knives, really quickly.

I've taken their method, used a slightly less sharp knife, and put it in this post. This is meant to be a basic how-to for avocado newbies, if you're already an avocado pro- ignore me and walk away. Come back tomorrow.

Here's how to make it happen:

Step 1:

Cut vertically all the way around your avocado. Just cut deep enough to get to the seed/pit in the middle:

Step 2: Grab each half, one in each half, and twist opposite ways for it to pop open:

If your avo is ripe, it'll be beautiful like this:

Step 3: Take whatever your sharpest knife is, preferably a larger chopping knife (my sharpest was a paring knife...#facepalm) and lightly whack it into the center of the pit. PLEASE do not cut your hand or fingers doing this.

 Step 4: Holding onto the avocado in one hand, take the knife and twist until it pops the pit out:

 Step 5: Cut your halves in half, so you have 4 quarters:

 Step 6: Pull off your tough avocado skin and you're good to go!

When you do this all quickly it can be done in less than a minute...or if you're a fancy sushi chef... like 10 seconds. I advise going slow to start so you don't cut yourself :)

So that's it! What's your best avocado recipe?

I only know about two..so help me out!

xo, lp

*please note: if you don't feel confident holding a sharp knife and stabbing it into the pit, DON'T. I'm not holding any responsibility for your injuries in posting this tutorial. so please, be careful!