At the One MICHELIN-Starred Casa Enrique in Queens, New York, Chef Cosme Aguilar cooks Mexican food with both style and substance. Every ingredient, every garnish adds visual distinction and also a very intentional flavor. In this recipe for tostadas de jaiba, or crab tostadas, Aguilar offers a roadmap to creating a simple yet sophisticated dish of lime-soaked sweet crab dressed with a colorful assortment of flavors and textures.
Tostadas de jaiba all about the prep — once you have all the ingredients, prepare and organize the disparate components, assembling each tostada is quick and easy. There is no stovetop cooking necessary and the recipe can be scaled up endlessly. It is the perfect low-maintenance yet highly rewarding snack to mark the end of this long and unforgettable year.
Tostadas de Jaiba (Crab Tostadas)
Serves two
Ingredients:
4 small corn tostadas (see note)
6 oz crab meat (preferably jumbo lump crab meat)
¼ white or red onion
½ red plum tomato
¼ bunch cilantro
Salsa juice (see below)
Avocado cream (see below)
A few slices of serrano or jalapeño peppers for garnish
A few sprigs of cilantro, chopped for garnish
Method:
1. Dice the onion, tomato and cilantro and mix together with the crab meat in a bowl
1. Add enough salsa juice to lightly coat the crab, mixing gently but thoroughly
3. Assemble the tostadas: place a tablespoon of the avocado cream onto each tostada
4. Heap the crab and juice mixture onto the center of each tostada
5. Top with a tablespoon of chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro
6. Garnish with small dollops of avocado cream, sliced peppers, and cilantro
Salsa Juice
Ingredients:
3 oz fresh lime juice, from about 3 squeezed limes
½ garlic clove, minced
½ serrano pepper, minced
Salt
Method:
1. In a container combine the fresh lime juice, minced garlic and minced serrano pepper. Add salt to taste. Mix then strain
Avocado Cream
Ingredients:
2 small avocados
¼ bunch cilantro
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, deseeded
1 cup of ice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut the avocados lengthwise around the seed; rotate the halves to separate; insert the tip of a spoon underneath the seed and gently lift it out. Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a knife or your fingers.
2. Place the avocado, cilantro, ice, peppers, and oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.
Note: If you don't have tostadas, you can easily make them by frying whole corn tortillas in vegetable oil until lightly brown and crisp on both sides.
