Spicy Crab Tostadas

People often ask me if I liked living in Mexico. It’s a harder question to answer than I ever imagined it could be. See, I was there for work so it wasn’t the three year vacation most envision. And while living there had its ups and downs, I never waiver on this point – I thoroughly enjoyed the food!

My husband and I were adventurous, for the most part, and open to trying just about any food locals offered. We even began cooking authentic Mexican food at home, experimenting with dishes and consulting our friends for their family recipes and tips. There are a several meals in our repertoire we owe entirely to Mexican friends and cooking magazines. One of them is tostadas.

Now it may seem like there’s nothing to constructing a tasty topping to accompany a crunchy tostada, but let me just say there were some failures along the way. Achieving the right balance of flavors to let the seafood shine, add enough spiciness to make it authentic yet edible, and not make the mixture too watery so your tostada doesn’t crack under the weight and liquid is nuanced. We make a shrimp version of this recipe, too. However, I happened to have crab so I thought I’d fancy it up a bit. That’s another thing I learned in Mexico…to be resourceful. It came in handy in the kitchen and outside as well. 

Spicy Crab Tostadas

2013-07-24 20:58:51

Delicate crab gets a kick with serrano and tabasco. For a tamer version, include only half the amount of both. This makes a great summer option as an appetizer served with chips or a main dish.

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For sauce

1. 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
2. 2 limes, juiced plus more lime wedges for serving
3. 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
6. 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce

For pico de gallo

1. 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
2. 1/4 cup diced red onion
3. 1 serrano pepper, seeded, ribs removed and finely diced
4. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. 1 pound crabmeat, picked for shells & cartilage
7. 2 avocados, cubed
8. 10 tostadas

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the first 6 ingredients until well combined.
2. Mix in the next 4 ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in crab and half the avocado cubes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
3. Top each tostada with crab salad and cubed avocado. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

1. If not serving immediately, add the avocado at the last minute.
2. This recipe works well with cooked shrimp or any flaky fish.
3. Can be made 1 day in advance without avocado.

By Lizzy | Kitchen Nomad

Kitchen Nomad https://kitchennomad.com/

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Tagged as: crab, summer, tostadas