Tostadas de Mariscos en Frío

A beloved Mexican coastal snack served at seaside fondas from Veracruz to Mazatlán, cold seafood tostadas are piled with raw or barely cured shellfish dressed in citrus and chili. The tostada's crunch is the only cooking involved.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 tostada shells (corn, store-bought or fried from corn tortillas)
• 300g (10 oz) raw medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into 1cm pieces
• 200g (7 oz) imitation crab or cooked crab meat, shredded
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• 4 limes, juiced (about 120ml / 1/2 cup)
• 2 tbsp (30ml) orange juice
• 30g (1 oz) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• 150ml (2/3 cup) Mexican crema or sour cream
• Hot sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. Combine shrimp pieces with lime juice, orange juice, salt, and jalapeño in a non-reactive bowl. Toss well and refrigerate 20–25 minutes until the shrimp turn opaque and pink — they are cured by the acid.
2. Add tomato, white onion, and cilantro to the cured shrimp and toss gently. Taste and adjust lime and salt.
3. Just before serving, fold in diced avocado to avoid browning.
4. Spread a spoonful of crema on each tostada. Pile on the seafood mixture generously. Finish with a dash of hot sauce.

Cook's Notes: For fully raw tostadas, use sushi-grade shrimp and reduce citrus time to 5 minutes — the shrimp will still have a raw centre, which is traditional at upscale marisquerías. Add a thin layer of refried beans under the crema for extra substance.