Crunch Into A Crab Tostada With Mango-Avocado Salsa

Ben Poremba May 2, 2017

Chef Ben Poremba of St. Louis Mexican mecca Nixta loaned us this tostada recipe for Holy Frijoles Week. Tired of tacos? We don’t really believe you; however if you’re simply looking to switch things up and get a little crunchy, a fresh crab tostada may just be the thing to shatter you out of your rut.

Both recipes, like all recipes at Nixta, are a collaboration between myself and my Executive Chef Tello Carreon. We like to take a familiar item and give an unexpected angle of refinement and ingredients.

We like doing seafood with tostadas, so this recipe is inspired by a fresh crab salad with avocado and mango that Tello used to make, but we deconstructed it. We have the purée on the bottom with mango, avocado and serrano pepper. Then we put fresh crab right on top, and top that with a mango, avocado and pickled serrano pepper relish.

Here’s a tip for making tostadas: using a tostada basket, line up (homemade or artisan-quality) tortillas, and deep fry until crispy, for about 6-8 minutes. This step can be done up to a day prior serving.

Crunch Into Crab Tostadas With Mango-Avocado Salsa

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes (plus tostada frying time)
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 2

Ingredients

Mango-Avocado Pico

1 slightly unripe mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1/2 habanero chili, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 small shallot, minced
1/3 cup mango, purée, fresh or canned (unsweetened)
Juice and zest of 1 large lime (or 2 small limes)
20 cilantro leaves, finely chopped
salt to taste
White pepper to taste
1/4 cup Grapeseed oil

Spicy Mango Purée

1 cup mango purée, fresh or canned (unsweetened)
1 small white onion, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 Serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup Grapeseed oil

Crab Salad

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab (we use Jonah crab in season), picked for shells fragments and squeezed to remove extra moisture
Zest of 1 small lime
1 small shallot, minced
1 branch celery, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Tostadas

4 blue corn tostada shells, each 6-8 inch diameter

Directions

For the pico

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. This salsa doesn't keep well. Eat it the day it's made.

For the purée

In a small pot, gently sweat (on low heat) the diced onion, carrot, and peppers in the grape seed oil. About 10 minutes until soft and onions look translucent. Transfer to a blender, and add mango purée, apple cider vinegar, and cumin. Blend on high until the mixture is very smooth. Refrigerate until ready for use.

For the crab salad

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate immediately until ready to use.

For the tostadas

Smear a full teaspoon of spicy mango purée on each shell. Top with crab salad. Top with mango-avocado pico. Garnish with cilantro and/or radish microgreens. Serve with a small wedge of lime and devour.