Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado and Chipotle Pepper
Here is my take on a Mexican shrimp tostada. Chilled shrimp, avocado, tomato, and cucumber are dressed with a bright, cilantro-y dressing. The shrimp “salad” is then placed on a crispy tortilla and drizzled with a smoky chipotle mayonnaise. The result is a bright, spicy, satisfying dish with tons of texture and interesting flavors. This recipe is meant to be easy to make so the prep work is quite minimal. This dish works very well as an appetizer when entertaining.
Poaching the Shrimp
One common mistake I see cooks make is overcooking shrimp. Many people will cook shrimp in water that is at a full rolling boil for long periods of time. This will almost always result in shrimp that are rubbery, mealy, and not very delicious. You may be surprised by how little cooking is actually required to make perfect shrimp.
I like to employ a low-temperature cooking method. Water is brought up to about 155F, or just below a simmer. The shrimp are then added to this hot-but-not-boiling-or-even-simmering water and cooked for anywhere between 4 and 6 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp. The shrimp are then cooled under running water and set aside until ready to use. This method makes it much easier to avoid over-cooking your shrimp.
Tostadas
While you could go the distance and fry fresh corn tortillas to form the base of tostada, I often just buy pre-made tostadas. Sure, a tostada made from freshly-fried, high-quality masa tortillas will always be superior, but you can’t beat the ease of using store-bought. Either way, as long as the tostadas are crispy, you are in a good place.
Shrimp Tostadas with Avocado and Chipotle Pepper
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Chipotle Mayonaisse
- 7.5 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Shrimp Tostada
- 2 tostadas store-bought is totally fine
- 1/3 pound shell-on, head-off shrimp medium or large shrimp
- 1/2 cup avocado, cut in 1/2 inch dice
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
- 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 20 thin slices serrano pepper
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp diamond crystal kosher salt May need less if using another salt
- 1/4 tsp maggi seasoning (or soy sauce) optional but recomended
Instructions
Chipotle Mayonnaise
- Place the entire can of chipotles (with the sauce) and 1 cup of mayonnaise into the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. ***This recipe will yield more chipotle mayo than you need for this recipe. I doubt you will have trouble finding things to put it on***
Shrimp Tostada
- Bring 3 quarts of water up to about 155F, or until you start to see some bubbles forming at the bottom of the pot and the water is giving off some steam. The water should be just below a simmer. Add the shrimp and cook for 4- 6 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp. Stir occasionally as they cook. If you are not sure if they are cooked, pull out one shrimp and peel it under cool running water and cut it in half to make sure it is cooked.
- Remove the shrimp from the hot water and place them in a bowl of ice water until they are completely cooled.
- Peel the shrimp.
- Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise and use a spoon or your finger to remove any of the digestive tract that is left in the shrimp. If necessary you can rinse the shrimp in cold water.
- Cut each shrimp half into two pieces. Set aside.
- ***these photos only show one tostada being made, your bowl will have double this quantity*** Add the shrimp, avocado, onion, tomato, cucumbers, serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and maggi seasoning into a mixing bowl.
- Gently toss everything together and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice and salt if necessary. This "salad" should be quite acidic and addictively salty.
- Spread the tostadas with a very thin layer of the chipotle mayo (only one tostada shown here, you will have two)
- BONUS STEP: Place some of the chipotle mayonnaise in a plastic baggie and cut off the very tip of one corner. This way you can use the baggie like a "piping bag" and drizzle the chipotle mayo the way I have done so in the final picture. Make sure the hole is small.
- Place half of the shrimp "salad" on each tostada and put each tostada on a separate plate. Use a spoon (or home-made piping bag) to drizzle more chipotle mayo on top of each tostada. Serve immediately so the tostada does not get too soggy.