Chicken Tostadas

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 medium onion
• 1 lb tomato, quartered
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 -2 fresh serrano chili, stemmed (if you like heat add more)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 6 large radishes, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 rotisserie-cooked chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)
• 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 1 (1 lb) can refried beans, heated (or use black beans)
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
• 1/2 cup mexican crema or 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled queso anejo (aged cheese, also called cotija) or 1/4 cup ricotta salata

Recipe

• 1 preheat broiler.
• 2 cut half of onion into 3/4-inch wedges, then chop remainder. toss onion wedges, tomatoes, garlic, and whole chiles with 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-sided sheet pan, spreading in 1 layer.
• 3 broil about 4 inches from heat until softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes. meanwhile, toss together lettuce, radishes, chopped onion, and half of cilantro.
• 4 purée tomato mixture in a blender along with one or both roasted serranos (to taste) and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth (use caution when blending hot foods). transfer purée to a bowl and stir in chicken, remaining cilantro, and salt to taste.
• 5 heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. fry tortillas, 1 at a time, turning once or twice and pressing with tongs to immerse, until golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds per tortilla. drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to plates.
• 6 spread tortillas thickly with heated refried beans, then top with chicken mixture. slice avocado over tostadas and dollop with crema.
• 7 mound lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese.