Roasted Corn Tostadas
June 2010
Heres a hearty, spicy, vegetarian Mexican meal that packs enough punch for meat eaters, too. It gets its kick from chipotles in adobo sauce. Place any remaining chipotles in a small resealable plastic bag, label the bag and freeze. (Seeding the chiles before freezing curbs their bite a bit.) Cut off a small chunk for your next use.
Makes: 4 servings
- 6 ears corn, shucked
- Vegetable oil, for drizzling
- Ancho chile or traditional chili powder, for sprinkling
- Salt and pepper
- Grated peel and juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon sauce
- 1 15 ouncecan spicy vegetarian refried beans
- Chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce, for topping
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, for topping
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped, for topping
- Drained and sliced pickled jalapeno chiles, or giardiniera (pickled vegetables), for topping
- Chopped cilantro (optional), for topping
- 8 4- to 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
- 2 1/2cups shredded monterey jack or mild mexican melting cheese
- Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat a broiler to high and position a rack on the second shelf. Dress the corn with a little oil and season with a sprinkle of chile powder, salt and pepper. Grill or broil the corn, turning occasionally, until tender and evenly charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Invert a small bowl in a larger bowl. Using tongs, remove the corn from the grill or broiler and steady the ears upright, 1 at a time, on the inverted bowl. Using the back of a knife, scrape the kernels from the cobs. Dress with the lime juice.
- In a small saucepan, bring the cream, chipotle, adobo sauce and lime peel to a boil over medium heat on the stovetop only (cream requires a babysitter and the grill heat is too high). Lower the heat to a low, slow boil and cook until reduced slightly.
- In another small saucepan, combine the refried beans and 1/4 cup water on the grill or over medium-low heat. Heat through and remove from the grill.
- While the beans heat, line up your toppings. Char the tortillas on the grill or under the broiler, then top with the beans and some of the cheese. Melt under a covered grill or the broiler for 1 minute. Save a little cheese for garnish.
- Serve 2 tostadas per person. Top each tostada with a mound of corn, the chipotle cream, the remaining cheese, the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickled chiles and cilantro, if using.