Black bean and chicken tostadas

Most tostadas that I eat in restaurants are much too big.  You order one and they bring you a plate with a tower of food. Only a truly reckless person would pick up one of these behemoths and eat it, as it was originally intended.  Instead, you eat down through layers of food with a fork before you hit the tortilla, which is often a soggy mess.   To me, these are salads sitting on a tortilla.   I like a real tostada, simpler and smaller, the kind you can eat out of hand as easily as a hot dog.  Being able to bite into one and experience the mouth feel of all the layers, with the crisp tortilla, is what makes them special.  They're very simple to make.  The ingredients can be placed on the table for people to build their own tostada.  Frankly, I love "building" food. Whether it's building a burger, a taco, a pizza, or a tostada, it's fun.   It's the closest I'll ever get to civil engineering.

As exhibit A demonstrating how unwieldy tostadas can be, I show you this fish tostada served two years ago at one of my favorite restaurants, The Mustard Grill, in Napa, California.  My mother-in-law, Bunty, ordered it and was dumbstruck by the size.  That's her with her sister Gladys.  As I remember, Bunty was saying something like, "What the .....?  I'm supposed to eat all of that?"  Actually, this fish tostada is delicious and one of the restaurants most popular items. But, the poor tortilla is lost under all that food.  (Bunty, I asked Bob if I should get your permission before I used your picture. He ASSURED me that you would be THRILLED and not to bother contacting you. He is your son and I bow to his judgment on these things. And I know that Gladys is always game for anything.)

But, I don't want to be seen as some kind of wild eyed purist, criticizing food for daring to go big. Consider this lemon meringue pie that's also served at the Mustard Grill.  This slice is NOT too big. Actually, it could be even bigger, in my opinion.  Sigh.  Italian meringue.

Anyway, back to tostadas. You begin by frying some corn tortillas in about 1/2 inch of really hot oil.  This can be done in advance.  There are tostadas in the store, already fried up for you to use. But, I've never bought any of them.  They look scary hard, like they could cut your tongue off. The tortilla should be crisp, but not brittle.  This time I fried my tortillas and oven fried some as well, to compare.  I brushed oil on corn tortillas and baked them on a sheet in the oven at 400 degrees. They didn't crisp as well as the tortillas I fried in oil, and it took much longer cooking them in the oven.   

I used black refried beans.  You can make them the old fashioned way, which are fabulous. But, if you're hit with a hankering for tostadas at the last minute, use a couple cans of black beans and mash them up in a skillet with some fried onions and garlic, like I did here.   Then start building tostadas.

The building part.  First, take a corn tortilla and spread a couple tablespoons of black beans on it.  Don't get carried away--you don't want to build a tower of food.

Add some cooked shredded chicken. Store bought rotisserie-style is fine.

Then add sliced romaine lettuce dressed with olive oil and vinegar, grated parmesan or Queso, some crema or sour cream thinned with milk, and salsa.

Then pick up the tostada in your hand and bite into it, sinking your teeth into all the different layers, down to the crisp tortilla. Ahh! Then make two more for yourself. Maybe even three.   It will fit easily in your hand and food won't fall off it as you eat (well, maybe a little).   Actually, the beauty of the tostada is that you can put any darn thing on top of them.  As long as they aren't overloaded, they're easy and delicious to eat.  Cut them into smaller rounds and they make great appetizers. 

Black bean-chicken tostadas  (Rick Bayless)

10 thin store bought corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 cups cooked black beans, (you can use another variety of bean if you wish), drained with the liquid reserved
salt
3/4 cup crema, creme fraiche, or sour cream thinned with a little milk
1 cup salsa
Around 1/2 cup grated Mexican queso cheese or parmesan or romano
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups romaine lettuce sliced about 1/4 inch wide

Let tortillas dry a little, spread out on paper towels.

Heat 1/2 inch oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat,  When the oil is hot enough to make the edge of a tortilla sizzle, fry the tortillas one at a time. You should be able to do this quickly.  After about 15 seconds flip the tortilla, on the other side to keep it flat. Continue frying for a bout a minute until the tortilla has darkened some. Set it on paper towels to drain and finish the rest. You can also oven fry them by spraying with oil and baking on a sheet at 400 degrees. I think the tortillas taste inferior this way.

The Beans:  Saute the onion until golden brown, then add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Add the beans and mash them up along with the onions. Add the reserved liquid as you go.  Taste for salt.

The toppings:  When ready to serve, set out bowls of the crema, chicken, beans.  Toss the lettuce with the olive oil and vinegar and set it out. 

Layering:  Spread each tortilla with a couple tablespoons of beans, chicken, then about 1/4 cup of the lettuce. Drizzle some crema on top of that, spoon on the salsa and dust with cheese.

Comments

[Bunty]

I remember that day, it was delicious, but so large a portion. We don't mind you using these pictures--as long as they aren't close-ups!!!!!!

Next time, I'll order the lemon merinque pie, It's my favorite and skip the entree

Love, Bunty

[Shannon]

I just recently ordered a tostada somewhere and was lamenting the so-soggy-I-couldn't-even-cut-it-with-a-knife aspect of the tortilla swimming underneath. Bravo for rescuing it in this fab recipe!

[sher]

Shannon,

It's so odd how the tortilla--the thing that's supposed to be the most important aspect of a tostada (in my opinion anyway) is often inedible. And I agree--you can't even cut them with a knife. Obviously--this is a major crisis! Well, for me at least. :):):)

[Fran]

You are so right. I want to taste all of the ingredients in one bite--including the tortilla.

[sher]

Fran,

Are we crazy, but isn't that the whole point of a tostada? :):)