One of the best characteristics of the Mexican kitchen is that many recipes are an assembly of ingredients and often use up leftovers. This is one such recipe. If you think of a tostada as an edible plate, you will realize the endless options for creating them. A meal is usually made up of two tostadas, which I like to stack because placing them side-by-side looks a bit awkward on a plate. And remember, tostadas are usually eaten with your hands!

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　

Poached Chicken

1 onion, halved

　　2 cloves garlic, crushed

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　5 cups water

　　1 1/2 pounds (about 5) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

　　2 bay leaves

　　2 teaspoons dried oregano

　　

Tostada and Toppings

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

　　About 1 cup red wine vinegar

　　12 flat tostada shells, packaged or homemade

　　1 avocado, pitted and chopped (see Cooking Notes, page 10)

　　1 plum tomato, chopped

　　1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus 6 sprigs for garnish

　　4 limes, 1 juiced and 3 quartered

　　Salt

　　1 head bibb or romaine lettuce, shredded

　　1 1/2 cups black beans (page 78), or canned, drained

　　1 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

　　1/2 cup Mexican crema, homemade (page 102) or store-bought

　　

Poach and Shred the Chicken

Step 1

Combine the onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, and oregano and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken, partially covered, for 35 minutes, until cooked through. To check for doneness, slit the chicken in half to make sure the interior is no longer pink; the juices should run clear.

　　

Step 2

Allow the chicken to cool in the broth. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the pan. Shred the chicken by hand by pulling apart the fibers of the chicken with your fingers, and set aside. If desired, strain the broth and reserve for future use.

　　

Marinate the Onion

Step 3

Put the red onion in a small bowl and pour in enough red wine vinegar to cover well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

　　

Prepare the Salad

Step 4

In a small bowl, toss together the avocado, tomato, cilantro, and juice of 1 lime. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

　　

Assemble the Tostadas

Step 5

The amount of ingredients used for the topping is up to you. You are going to create two tostadas and place one on top of the other, so do not overfill them or they will not stack up.

　　

Step 6

Place a tostada shell on a plate and top with shredded lettuce, marinated onion, shredded chicken, black beans, crumbles of queso fresco, and avocado-tomato salad. Drizzle some crema over it and top with a second tostada and toppings.

　　

Step 7

Once stacked, garnish the tostada sitting on top with a sprig of cilantro and serve with a lime wedge.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 8

INGREDIENTS

　　

Step 9

Tostadas

　　

Step 10

You can buy commercial tostada shells or fry your own. Commercial 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.

　　

Step 11

Tostada Toppings

　　

Step 12

The toppings listed in this recipe are only a guide. Feel free to eliminate or substitute any ingredient. And use as much or as little of them as you please.

　　

Step 13

TECHNIQUES

　　

Step 14

Homemade Tostadas

　　

Step 15

To make homemade fried tortillas for tostadas, purchase 6-inch corn tortillas. Pour 2 inches of olive 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 in a paper towel–lined dish, and sprinkle with salt.

　　

COOKING NOTES

Step 16

ADVANCE PREPARATION

　　

Step 17

All of the toppings can be prepared well in advance and the tostada assembled just before serving.

　　

Step 18

An option when serving tostadas is to set out all the toppings and allow your guests to create their own tostadas. That will not only ensure they get a tostada of their liking, but also that you will have made a stress-free meal.

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