Tuna Tostada with Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients

• 1 thick leek, white part only, thoroughly washed and sliced into 1/8th-inch rounds
• 2 cups rice bran oil, safflower oil, or any vegetable oil with a high smoke point
• 8 stale corn tortillas
• 12 oz sashimi-grade tuna, trout, or other fatty fish, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari to make gluten-free!)
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Sir Kensington’s Chipotle Mayo (Link opens in new window.)
  
• 1 avocado, cut in half, pitted, peeled, and cut into 8-16 slices
• Maldon sea salt or another finishing salt
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. First, place the leeks in a bowl of cold water and separate the rings. Remove any green rings and save these for making stock. Transfer the white rings to a dish towel to dry out for at least 15 minutes so that they’re completely dry before frying.
2. Meanwhile, warm the rice bran or safflower oil in a large heavy-bottom saucepan or deep skillet (you want the oil to be at least 2 inches deep) on medium-high heat to 350 degrees. You can test the temperature with an instant read thermometer, or by submerging a wooden spoon in the oil, which will be immediately surrounded by little bubbles when the oil is at the right temperature.
3. Line a plate with a brown paper bag. Fry the tortillas one at a time, for about 2 minutes each. While the tortilla is frying, use a pair of chopsticks or two forks to hold down the two edges so that the tortilla doesn’t curl up. Once the tortilla is golden, remove it from the oil and let them it cool for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. You want the tortillas fully cooled or else the mayonnaise will melt.
4. Using the same oil in which you fried your tortillas, fry the leeks. Decrease the oil temperature to 300 degrees. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer before adding the leeks; if the oil is too hot, the leeks will turn dark and become bitter. Drop in the leeks and constantly move them around while they fry so they cook and color evenly. The instant you see the leeks turning golden, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them on the plate to cool completely.
5. While the tostadas and leeks are cooling, marinate the fish: Place the fish in a bowl and drizzle it with olive oil so the citrus and soy sauce don’t bite into the fish and give it a gray cast. After lightly coating the fish with olive oil, immediately add the soy sauce and orange juice, toss, and let sit for 5 minutes.
6. Once the tortillas are cool, spread 1 teaspoon of Chipotle Mayonnaise on each one. That may seem like very little, but you don’t want it to be thick and ooze out from under the rest of the toppings. On top of the mayonnaise, distribute the sliced fish in one layer. Scatter the fried leeks and top with avocado. Just before serving, add a pinch of finishing salt.

Find the original recipe by clicking here. (Link opens in new window.)