Firstly, don’t slam your pestle and wind it around. Instead, rock and smash your ingredients by going around the mortar with your pestle to gather any ingredients that have climbed up the sides, then push them back into the middle and continue. When it comes to investing in one, the best — like ours from David Mellor — are made from coarse unpolished granite. This stone creates enough friction to easily and evenly break down any type of ingredient. It’s also nonporous, so it doesn’t retain flavour and is easy to clean by hand.

• 3 large ripe avocados

• ¼ white onion, diced

• 1 Serrano chili, finely chopped

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

• Fresh lime juice to taste (no less than 2 tbsp)

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• Salt to taste

• With your mortar and pestle, smash avocados until chunky and mashed.

• Mix in the rest of the ingredients and serve with chips or veggies.

HG Cooking Essentials