I often wonder if tostadas—crisp tortillas mounded with your choice of topping—were the first version of modern-day nachos. If so, these would definitely be called "supreme." Crunchy tortillas are layered with slices of creamy avocado and topped with a zesty crab salad to make the perfect appetizer.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 8

　　1 pound lump crabmeat

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　2 tablespoons mayonnaise

　　3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

　　1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped

　　3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped

　　2 limes, finely grated zest and juice

　　Salt and black pepper

　　8 flat tostada shells, packaged or homemade

　　1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced

　　

Garnish

Cilantro sprigs

　　2 limes, quartered

　　

Prepare the Crabmeat

Step 1

Put the crabmeat in a bowl. Pick through it with your fingers to remove any cartilage.

　　

Combine the Ingredients

Step 2

Add the oil, mayonnaise, onion, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime zest and juice to the crabmeat. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, gently fold (or toss) all ingredients until well blended. Season well with salt and pepper.

　　

Assemble and Serve

Step 3

Top each tostada shell with a few slices of avocado, place a generous serving of the crabmeat mixture over it, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve each with a lime wedge.

　　COOKING NOTES

　　INGREDIENTS

　　Tostadas

　　You can buy commercial tostada shells or fry your own. Commerical tostada shells are basically large tortilla chips. Buy your favorite brand, but try to find tostadas that are 6 to 9 inches wide, round, and flat.

　　TECHNIQUES

　　Homemade Tostadas

　　To make homemade tostadas, purchase 6-inch corn tortillas. Pour 2 inches of oil into a shallow pan and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortillas, one at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan, place on a paper towel–lined dish, and sprinkle with salt.

　　Seeding Tomatoes

　　To seed tomatoes, cut the tomato into quarters lengthwise then slice off the seedy pulp. Plum tomatoes are best for this recipe because they contain fewer seeds and less pulp than the round varieties.

　　ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　The crabmeat mixture can be made a day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

　　SERVING SUGGESTIONS

　　While these tostadas make a great first course, you can also make smaller, bite-size ones to be served as hors d'oeuvres.

　　Another more casual option is to put the crabmeat mixture in a bowl or platter and serve the tortillas alongside, allowing your guests to make their own tostadas. In this case, dice the avocado and fold it into the crabmeat mixture.

　　Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.