Skip to content
Menu Button
  • Restaurants
    • Column 1
      • Frontera Grill
      • Topolobampo
      • Bar Sótano
    • Column 2
      • Xoco
      • Tortazo
      • Tortas
      • Frontera Cocina
    • Column 3
      • Private Dining
      • Gift Cards
      • Goldbelly Meal Kits
  • Recipes
    • ADVANCED
      SEARCH

      VIEW ALL RECIPESBROWSE CATEGORIESRECIPE COLLECTIONS

    • Column 1
      • Recipe Search
      • View All Recipes
      • Browse Categories
      • Recipe Collections
      • Guacamoles
      • Ceviche, Aguachiles and Other Mariscos
      • Starters, Salads and Snacks
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
    • Column 2
      • Tacos and Tostadas
      • Tamales
      • Enchiladas and Chilaquiles
      • Corn Masa Snacks
      • Tortas and Breads
      • Eggs and Other Breakfast Dishes
      • Soups, Pozoles and Chilis
    • Column 3
      • Margaritas, Cocktails and Other Beverages
      • Essential Preparations
      • Salsas, Hot Sauces and Condiments
      • Moles and Pipianes
      • Mexican Ingredients
  • SHOWS
    • Column 1
      • Watch Season 12:
        BAYLESS’ BEST EVER
      • TV Show Recipes
      • MOPAAT Seasons
      • Mexico One Plate at a Time
    • Column 2
      • Top Chef Masters Information
      • Stream Top Chef Masters episodes on Prime
      • Top Chef Masters
    • Column 3
      • Cooking Tutorials
      • Rick Bayless Taco Manual
      • Stream MOPAAT Episodes
      • YouTube
  • Shop
    • Column 1
      • Chef Rick Bayless
        Online Shop
    • Column 2
      • Cooking Classes
      • Goldbelly Meal Kits
    • Column 3
      • Restaurant Gift Cards
  • About
    • Column 1
      • Meet Rick Bayless
      • Rick Bayless Timeline
      • Awards and Affiliations
      • The Bayless Gardens
      • Rick’s Travel Guides
      • About Rick Bayless
    • Column 2
      • Frontera News
      • Frontera Farmer Foundation
      • Impact Culinary Training
      • Bayless Family Foundation
      • Frontera Farmer Foundation
    • Column 3
      • Follow Rick on Social
      • Instagram
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Pinterest
      • Vimeo
      • Rick Bayless YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube
« BACK TO ALL RECIPES
recipes / Tostadas / fish tostadas with toasty baja-style mojo de ajo

Fish Tostadas with Toasty Baja-Style Mojo de Ajo

Servings: 6 o 8 generously portioned tostadas
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Print
The northern part of the Baja peninsula draws upon many diverse influences in the crafting of it's cuisine. This fish tostada was also inspired by our meal at La Querencia— we ate the local, fresh yellowtail but I've adapted it for the in-season halibut from Alaska that is readily available now.

INGREDIENTS

  • For the mojo de ajo:
  • 1 head of garlic, broken apart into cloves but not peeled
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/2 of an ancho chile, seeds removed, cut into small squares with scissors
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • For the guacamole:
  • 2 avocados
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • Salt
  • For the tostadas:
  • 1/2 pound very fresh boneless, skinless ocean fish fillets (I like yellowtail, halibut or tuna)
  • 1/2 bunch swiss chard
  • 4 limes, cut into wedges
  • Coarse finishing salt (I like Maldon sea salt)
  • 1 package of tostadas

INSTRUCTIONS

Set a heavy ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lay the unpeeled garlic on the hot surface and let it roast to a sweet mellowness, turning occasionally, until soft when pressed between your fingers (you’ll notice it has blackened in a few small spots), about 15 minutes. Cool, then slip off the papery skins and roughly chop.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the capers and fry until starting to brown and crisp slightly, 3 minutes. Add the ancho chile pieces and 2/3 of the chopped garlic cloves, cook until oil mixture is deeply aromatic and darker in color, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add balsamic vinegar and salt (usually ½ teaspoon). Allow to cool.

Cut around each avocado from stem to blossom end and back up again, then twist the halves apart. Dislodge the pit and scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl. Add the lime juice, black pepper, remaining roasted garlic and Mexican oregano. Coarsely mash everything together. Taste and season with salt, usually about ¾ teaspoon.

To assemble the tostadas, refresh the tostadas by brushing them in oil and flashing them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes— you can skip this step, but I think the tostadas taste much better if they’re been refreshed.

Directly over a gas flame, toast the whole chard leaves until blackened in spots and aromatic. Set aside to cool, roughly chop.

Slice the fish into thin slices, about ¼”, set aside. Smear a heaping tablespoon of the roasted garlic guacamole on the tostada. Add some of the chopped chard. Lay two of the pieces of fish on the mounded chard. Spoon some of the solids with a small amount of the oil in the mojo over the fish. Finish with a sprinkling of the coarse sea salt and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.

Tostadas, Baja

Post navigation

Crispy Chicken Torta
Devilish Shrimp

RELATED RECIPES

Tostadas

Caesar Salad Tostadas with White Anchovies and Garlicky White Beans

Tostadas

Tuna Tostadas with Chipotle Mayo, Avocado and Crispy Leeks (Contramar Style)

Tostadas

Scallop Tostadas with Salsa Macha

Tostadas

Fresh Cheese Tostadas with Oaxacan Flavors

Tostadas

Tostadas of Octopus in Escabeche

COPYRIGHT © RICK BAYLESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Restaurants
  • Recipes
  • Shows
  • Shop
  • About
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
  • Contact Us

Rick Bayless is the chef and owner of an award-winning world of restaurants including Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago. He is also a teacher, author, philanthropist, YouTube creator and much more. Explore our “About” section to learn more!