If you scroll through Mexican food social media accounts at this time of year, you will notice there is a lot of fish and seafood recipes, and that is because we are going through Lent. As I mentioned in my previous post, Mexicans are a very religious lot, and with the majority of the population being Catholic, it is not surprising people follow tradition.
As I’ve said before, I love traditions, and especially the ones that involve good food! If I am honest, I do not eat as much fish as I should, and though canned tuna may not be considered proper fish, I like it and I eat it in moderation.
Recipes called “a la Mexicana”, are making a reference to the colours of our flag - red, white and green, so the ingredients to use are red tomatoes, white onions and fresh green chiles. Making things in this method is a simple, yet delicious way of cooking, and this formula applies to many different ingredients, from chicken, eggs, beef, pork (or most proteins, for that matter) to vegetables like zucchini, cabbage or corn to name a few.
This is a very simple recipe, so the quality of the ingredients matters - I prefer tuna packed in olive oil - after it is well drained, it will not add moisture to the final dish, and in this recipe we are aiming for a dry-ish mixture so the tostada remains crispy. There is nothing worse than a soggy tostada, believe me!
As for the the rest of the ingredients, in Mexico we prefer using white (Spanish) onions, but you can mix red and white or even use cooking onions in this dish. In this particular recipe I prefer using Roma tomatoes, as they have less seeds than vine tomatoes (remember, we want a drier dish and a lot of seeds would add a lot of moisture), and you can use Jalapeños or Serranos (or even canned chipotles if you don’t have fresh chiles, but technically your dish would not be considered as being “a la Mexicana”). I use tomato paste from a tube - unless you’re using the whole can, the tube is way easier to portion and store, so it is definitely worth seeking out at your grocery store. Finally, lime juice and fresh cilantro will give your tuna acidity and brightness.
When you’re buying tostadas, look for sturdy ones that will hold the tuna without crumbling easily, there are a lot of brands out there so keep an eye out for thicker ones. Also, the size will determine how many people you will feed with this recipe - there are brands out there that are quite large.
And finally, the garnishes: sliced avocado, crema and cilantro leaves. Another way to use the avocado here is to make a simple guacamole and spread on the tostada first, then top with the tuna, but I leave that up to you. A drizzle of crema and a few cilantro leaves is all you need, as the spice is already built into the filling. But if you want extra heat, go ahead and add salsa on top. Serve with some lime wedges and enjoy!
Tostadas de Atún a la Mexicana
Mexican Style Tuna Tostadas
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 Jalapeño chile, minced (seeded if you want less heat)
2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/8 cups drained canned chunk tuna
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Corn Tostadas
2 avocados, sliced
1/2 cup crema, crème fraîche or sour cream
Cilantro leaves for garnish
In medium frying pan heat oil over medium high heat.
Add onion and Jalapeños and cook until softened.
Add tomatoes and cook until they break down, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cook another two minutes.
Add tuna and lime and salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for 5 minutes and add cilantro.
Serve on corn tostadas, topped with avocado slices.
Drizzle with crema and cilantro leaves.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serving 2-3.