Tequila-Cured Salmon Tostados

"Miguel was served this unique dish in the Mexico City home of Guadalupe Rivera Marín, the daughter of famed muralist Diego Rivera and stepdaughter of artist Frida Kahlo.  The salmon has to be cured in tequila a full day in advance, but the appetizer goes together quickly once the fish is marinated."  From Fonda San Miguel.

• 4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin and bones removed
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Fine-grain sea salt
• 1 cup silver tequila
• 6 to 7 large flour tortillas
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon minced chives
• 24 to 32 small pieces of pimento
• 24 to 32 thin half-moon slices white or red onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion)
• Lemon zest for garnish (optional)

METHOD

Put each salmon fillet into a nonreactive container; sprinkle both sides with cilantro and sea salt.  Add up to 1/4 cup tequila to each container.  Seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  (The salmon will keep for up to two weeks.)

When ready to assemble the tostadas, preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Using a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut cocktail-size rounds out of the large flour tortillas, about 4 or 5 rounds per tortilla. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the rounds on the baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 45 minutes.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the minced chives.  Set aside.

Remove the fillets from the marinade and pat dry.  Using a very sharp paring knife, cut each fillet crosswise into 6 to 8 wafer-thin slices.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on each tostada.  Curl the strips of salmon into rosettes and gently stuff a piece of pimento into the center of each rosette.  Place a rosette into the center of each tortilla round and garnish with a half-moon slice of onion and a sprinkling of lemon zest.  Serves 8 (3 or 4 tostadas per person).

Reprinted with permission from © 2005, Cuisines de Mexico, Inc. Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art by Tom Gilliland and Miguel Ravago, published by Shearer Publishing  click for book review

Read the story of the making of a chef about Fonda's chef, Miguel Ravago

back to chef and cookbook recipes     more mexican recipes    mexican food and cooking      back to breakfast and brunch recipes

 

top of page