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Place a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the tomato and garlic.
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Roast for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are completely roasted and soft.
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Turn the tomato every 4 minutes or so, until all sides are roasted and charred (parts of the tomato skin will blacken, but do not worry; that is what you want).
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Remove from heat and set aside.
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The garlic will begin to roast more slowly, but rotate it every 5 minutes or so.
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When the garlic starts to release its aroma, and becomes soft to the touch, it is ready.
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Remove from the skillet, let cool, and then peel (you can just squeeze the garlic out of its skin).
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Combine the whole tomatoes and garlic in a blender with the chipotle chile, vinegar, and salt.
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Puree until smooth.
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Season the shrimp with salt.
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Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and saute until they are all golden brown, about 2 minutes.
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Pour the chipotle sauce over the shrimp and stir to combine well.
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Allow to simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors and thicken the sauce.
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Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
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Remove from the heat and set aside while you begin to assemble the tostadas.
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Note that it is not important to measure the tostada ingredients precisely.
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Use as much or as little as you like.
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Place a tostada on a dish and top with about 1/4 cup (a handful) of shredded lettuce.
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Add 3 or 4 shrimp to the tostada along with some extra chipotle sauce.
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Drizzle some crema over the shrimp and garnish with fresh cilantro.
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Repeat until all the tostadas are assembled.
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TECHNIQUES
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Butterflying Shrimp
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25
Tostadas tend to be eaten with the hands, so it is a good idea to make sure all ingredients are bite size.
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For this reason, it is best to butterfly the shrimp prior to cooking.
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This will not only make it easier to eat, but the shrimp will absorb the flavors of the sauce more intensely and cook more quickly.
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A butterflied shrimp is a shrimp that has been sliced lengthwise.
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In some cases, one side of the shrimp is kept attached, but other times it is sliced all the way through.
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For this recipe, the shrimp will be sliced in half all the way through.
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Peel and devein the shrimp.
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Place a shrimp on your cutting board and hold your knife blade along the indentation found along the back of the shrimp (the site of the deveining).
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Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise using the indentation as your guide.
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ADVANCE PREPARATION
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While it is best to assemble the tostadas just before serving, you can make the shrimp and the sauce in advance.
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The sauce can be made a day ahead and the shrimp can be cooked a few hours before you plan to serve them.
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If you are cooking the shrimp ahead of time, try to undercook them a bit so that when they are reheated they dont become tough.
