I’m grateful to have been hosted for casual gatherings in countless homes throughout Mexico and more times than not the menu is tostadas–crispy tortillas in a basket set alongside bowls of shredded chicken, a simple guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, pickled jalapeños, crema, a garnishing cheese like queso fresco, maybe some smooth soupy beans to anchor everything. Those experiences are what I’m echoing here. Simple, savory deliciousness with an interactive aspect.
Of course, you can compose these crowd-pleasing chicken tostadas and serve them to your guests, which is the way things would be if you ordered them in a cafetería in, say, Mexico City, Guadalajara or Veracruz. Probably the most famous version is the one at La Siberia in Monterey. It’s simpler than what I’ve outlined here, but it has a special guacamole with raw tomatillos and pickled jalapeño juice that is really beautiful. So that’s the guacamole version I’m including.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large avocados , halved, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin
- 2 tomatillos , husked, rinsed and finely chopped
- One 7-ounce can sliced pickled jalapeños
- Salt
- 4 loosely packed cups shredded chicken
- About 2 cups thinly sliced romaine hearts, head lettuce or Napa cabbage
- A generous cup of chopped or sliced ripe tomatoes
- About 1 cup salsa
- About a cup of Mexican crema
- About a cup of crumbled Mexican queso anejo or queso fresco, or other garnishing cheese like crumbled goat cheese, mild feta, Parmesan or Romano
- About a cup of cooked beans (any kind) blended smooth and thinned with water to the consistency of thick bean soup
- 8 crisp fried tostadas, store bought or homemade
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the guacamole. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with the chopped tomatillo and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pickling juice from the can of jalapeños. Taste and season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon.
Set out the ingredients. Set out the guacamole and pickled jalapeños alongside the chicken, lettuce (or cabbage), tomatoes, salsa, crema, cheese, beans and tostadas
Build tostadas. You can encourage your guests to build tostadas to their liking, or build tostadas for them. I find it best to layer the ingredients in this way: a swipe of beans followed by the tomatoes and a small handful of chicken, then crema and lettuce (or cabbage), a spoonful of salsa and guacamole, and finally top with a sprinkling of cheese and some pickled chiles. Your riot of tastes and textures is ready to eat.
