According to the California Avocado Commission (CAC), this year’s Fourth of July avocado sales figures indicate 118.3 million pounds were sold in the U.S. in support of holiday festivities, making it the highest Fourth of July consumption period on record.
The results were stronger than the 100-million-pound pre-holiday projection and surpassed the 2016 actual by nearly 20 percent.
But avocados’ momentum actually began with Memorial Day, which kicks off the American summer holiday season. That holiday also accounted for sales of 118.3 million pounds of the fruit.
Created in 1978, CAC’s goal is to increase demand for California avocados through advertising, promotion and public relations. The Irvine, California-based organization also engages in related industry activities designed to benefit the state’s nearly 4,000 avocado growers. For nutrition information and recipes visit the website.
RECIPE: Grilled BBQ Chicken Salad Stuffed California Avocados
Serving Size: 4
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 40 minutes
PREP TIME: 1 hour, 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
| 3 lbs. | chicken breast halves, on the bone and brined (see make ahead brine recipe below) |
| 1 cup | aioli (see make ahead recipe below) |
| 2 Tbsp. | sliced celery leaf, (from tender inner celery stalks) |
| 2 Tbsp. | sliced parsley |
| 1/2 cup | finely diced red onion |
| 2 tsp. | strained fresh lemon juice |
| 2 | small lemons, zested |
| 1/2 tsp. | Dijon mustard |
| 2 tsp. | salt |
| 1/8 tsp. | ground black pepper, or to taste |
| 2 | ripe, fresh California Avocados, halved and seeded |
| As needed | Fresh chives, chopped finely for garnish |
| Chicken Brine: | |
| 4 qt. | water |
| 1 cup | salt |
| 1 cup | brown sugar |
| Aioli: | |
| 2 | egg yolks |
| 1 1/4 tsp. | minced garlic |
| 1/4 | lemon, juice only |
| 1/4 Tbsp. | Dijon mustard |
| 2 Tbsp. | apple cider vinegar |
| 1 1/2 cups | canola oil |
| 1/8 tsp. | salt, or to taste |
| 1/8 tsp. | pepper, or to taste |
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove chicken from brine and pat dry.
On medium-high heat, grill the chicken breasts beginning skin side down, then flipping and finishing bone-side down until cooked through, about 6 – 8 minutes on each side.
Cool chicken, remove skin and bones, then dice into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch cubes.
Mix aioli with celery leaf, parsley, onion, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, salt and pepper.
Add diced chicken to aioli mixture. Season with salt, to taste.
Spoon into avocado halves and garnish with fresh chives.
Chicken Brine:
In a 6 quart pot, bring water to boil over a high heat.
Once water is boiling, add salt and sugar.
Stir all ingredients until fully dissolved.
Once fully dissolved, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using to brine the chicken.
Brine chicken for one hour in cold brine.
Aioli:
Combine the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and apple cider vinegar in a food processor. Blend on low until smooth.
With the food processor remaining on low speed, add oil slowly and steadily. Once all oil is added, taste and season with salt, pepper and extra lemon, if needed.
Serving Suggestion: Double or triple the recipe for a great party appetizer! Prep them ahead so all you need to do when guests arrive is serve.
Beverage Pairing: Arnold Palmer.
*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.