For those of you not familiar with the term, “alligator pear” is a charming and old-fashioned name for avocado. I use the term here because this is less a recipe than a memory. When I was growing up, my parents thought it the height of sophistication to serve us halved avocados as an accompaniment to our after-dinner salad. They filled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt and never failed to mention how rare and expensive a treat we were getting. This is an homage to that family dinner tradition—half an alligator pear, made lighter and more savory with the addition of buttery Ligurian Taggiasca olives and a lightly dressed arugula salad. Serve them the next time you entertain and raise a fork to the Stowells as you do.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut each avocado in half, remove the pits, and place each half on a salad plate. Sprinkle each half lightly with salt and fill each cavity with 1 tablespoon chopped olives and a bit of the oil in which they are packed. Sprinkle evenly with the sliced chile. Squeeze 1 lemon half evenly over the avocado halves.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, toss the arugula with the olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons juice from the remaining lemon half. Sprinkle with salt.
Step 3
Top each avocado half with the arugula salad and serve.
