Mini Tostada Canapés
From ITV’s Ainsley’s Christmas Good Mood Food
Tostada, meaning ‘toasted’, refer to crispy toasted tortilla in Mexico where they use them as a base for a variety of tasty toppings. You can fry the tortilla in a little oil if you like, but I’ve baked mine for a healthier snack. These mini tostadas are perfect for canapes for New Year or as nibbles to serve with festive drinks.
Method
For the Mini Tostada Bases
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C/gas 6
Use a 2inch cake cutter to cut out mini circles. Brush both sides with oil and season lightly with salt. Place in a single layer on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp. (don’t waste the leftover tortilla – they can be blitzed in a food processor and used to make crispy breadcrumbs).
For the Ham Hock with Chipotle Mayo & Pickled Radish
In a small bowl mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the radish and leave aside to pickle while you make the tostada.
Put the shredded ham hock in a bowl and add the spring onion, gherkin, ancho chilli flakes and a good squeeze of lime. Mix well and check for seasoning.
Mix together the mayonnaise and chipotle and spread a little onto each tostada. Pile on some ham hock and top with the drained pickled radish. Serve immediately.
For the Spicy Crab & Mango with Zesty Avocado (makes approx. 12 tostada)
Put the avocado, garlic, lime zest and juice into a mini food processor and blend until smooth (alternatively mash with a fork in a bowl).
Put the crab, mango, cucumber, spring onion, coriander, chilli, lime juice and zest into a bowl and gently mix to combine. Season to taste. Spread a little of the avocado onto the tostada and top with the crab mix. Drizzle with sriracha sauce.
For the Brie, Chilli Cranberry & Walnut (makes approx. 12 tostada)
In a small bowl mix together the cranberry sauce, chilli jam and orange zest. Top each tostada with a slice of brie and add a teaspoon of chilli cranberry sauce. Top with walnuts and sprinkle over the thyme leaves.
Ingredients
- For the Mini Tostada Bases
- 6-8 corn tortilla
- olive oil, for brushing and drizzling
- Ham Hock with Chipotle Mayo & Pickled Radish
- 4 radish, thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 200g pulled or shredded Ham Hock
- 1-2 spring onion, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1-2 small gherkin/cornichon, finely chopped
- pinch of ancho chill flakes
- ½ lime, for squeezing
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp chipotle paste or sauce
- Spicy Crab & Mango with Zesty Avocado
- 1 ripe avocado, destoned
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- ½ lime, zest and juice
- 1 tin of white crab meat, drained and chopped/shredded
- 1/2 mango, destoned, and finely diced
- 80g cucumber, halved lengthways, deseeded, and finely diced
- 2 spring onion, trimmed and shredded
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
- ½ lime, zest and juice
- sriracha sauce, for drizzling
- Brie, Chilli Cranberry & Walnut
- 2 tbsp cranberry sauce or jelly
- 2 tsp chilli jam (preferably scotch bonnet)
- zest of ½ orange
- 150g brie, thinly sliced
- walnut halves or pecans, toasted & chopped
- 1 sprig of thyme leaves, picked