Got Fried Avocado?

DEAR SOS: Some years ago when visiting friends in Austin, Texas, I was taken to a restaurant called Trudy’s North Star. I had a wonderful dish called Stuffed Avocado, an avocado half filled with shredded chicken, battered and deep-fried. It was wonderful.

PATRICIA LAMMERTS

Via e-mail

DEAR PATRICIA: In the state of Texas, they’ll deep-fry anything that’s not nailed down. But first they dip it and roll it.

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Trudy’s Stuffed Avocado Special

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Serve this with rice and beans.

1 avocado

About 1/4 cup shredded, cooked chicken

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup saltine cracker crumbs

Oil, for frying

1/2 cup green chile sauce

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the avocado down the middle and remove the pit and skin. Fill the hollow left by the pit with the chicken. Put the 2 halves of the avocado back together.

Place the buttermilk in a shallow dish, the flour in another shallow dish and the cracker crumbs in a third dish. Carefully holding the avocado together (it’s slippery), dip it first in the buttermilk then roll it in the flour to coat completely. Dip it again in the buttermilk and roll it in the cracker crumbs until completely covered.

Heat about 4 cups of oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Deep-fry the avocado until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the avocado with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Place the avocado in a shallow casserole and press firmly to flatten just a little. Cover the avocado with the green chile sauce and Cheddar and Jack cheeses and place in the oven until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

2 servings. Each serving: 711 calories; 897 mg sodium; 80 mg cholesterol; 59 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 3.56 gram fiber.