Chipotle Fish Tostadas

Manami's Note:

From: The Spice is Right. Text and recipes by Kathryn Jessup| From the November 2008 Issue of Coastal Living Magazine. Chipotle Fish Tostadas call for mucho garlic in addition to chipotle chiles. Along Mexico's Gulf coast, brave cooks fry spicy dried chipotle chiles in oil. Here, we used milder canned chipotles en adobo, a chile-vinegar sauce, but they still pack a punch. This is not to be confused with my Chipotle Shrimp Tostadas!:)

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 33 mins
• Cook Time: 27 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 3 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, tied with string
• 2 lbs firm white fish fillets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained (canned)
• 2 -3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded, finely chopped, and divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, from chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 12 corn tortillas
• 6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 avocados, sliced

GARNISHES

• fresh cilantro
• lime wedge

Directions:

1. Bring first 7 ingredients to a boil in a 6-quart Dutch oven.
2. Add fish, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.
3. Drain well, reserving fish but discarding onion, garlic, bay leaf, and cilantro.
4. Flake fish, and set aside.
5. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add pressed garlic cloves, and sauté 30 seconds.
7. Add tomatoes, 1 or 2 chopped chipotle chiles, cloves, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
8. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
9. Process tomato mixture in a blender until smooth; return to skillet.
10. Add fish to tomato mixture, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
11. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
12. Stir remaining chipotle chile into mayonnaise.
13. Stir in 2 teaspoons adobo sauce until blended.
14. Heat vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
15. Fry tortillas, one at a time, in hot oil 1 minute or until richly browned and crisp, turning once or twice.
16. Drain on paper towels.
17. Spread chipotle mayonnaise evenly on tortillas.
18. Top each tortilla with 1/3 cup fish mixture, 1/2 cup lettuce, and avocado slices.
19. Garnish, if desired.
20. **Try this recipe with rotisserie chicken in place of the fish for a quick weeknight dinner.