Tuna Tostadas with Avocado, Ginger, and Scallion
Reprinted with permission from "Cook Like a King." Text copyright © 2025 by Melissa King. Food photographs copyright © 2025 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
The perfect dinner party snack, this recipe is inspired by the tostadas de atún at the effortlessly cool Contramar, a restaurant in Mexico City. There, crunchy fried corn tortillas are topped with slices of pristine raw tuna, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise, and crispy leeks. In my rendition, tuna and avocado are drizzled with chili crisp for richness and heat. I also top it with ginger-scallion sauce, which I loved on a Hawaiian ahi poke I had on Oahu; it adds an unexpected dimension that at first bite reveals it’s a natural fit.
About the delicious sauce: Rarely does this Cantonese sauce last in my fridge for more than a day. When hot oil hits ginger and scallion, it tempers their sharpness but ignites their flavors, making the three-ingredient condiment so delicious you’ll find yourself searching for any excuse to eat it.
How to Make It
1
Make the ginger-scallion sauce: In a heatproof medium mixing bowl, combine the scallions, ginger, and salt. Stir briefly and put the bowl near the stove.
2
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over high heat and wait for it to start smoking, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour it evenly and quickly over the scallion mixture, then immediately stir well.
3
Let it cool completely. (It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.)
4
Make the tostadas: Put the onion in a medium bowl, fill it with cold water, and drain. Repeat several times, then drain well. This removes the onion’s sharpness and gives it a crisp texture. Refrigerate until needed.
5
Line a large (18-by-13-in.) sheet pan with paper towels. Pour ½ in. of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. To test when it’s hot enough, dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil. When it bubbles immediately, fry 2 or 3 tortillas at a time, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and completely crisp, about 1 minute per side.
6
Transfer the tostadas to the paper towels in a single layer to drain and immediately season lightly on both sides with kosher salt.
7
Scoop the avocado flesh into a medium mixing bowl. Add the lime juice and a generous pinch of kosher salt, then use a fork to mix and mash until creamy but still a bit chunky. Season to taste with more salt and lime juice.
8
Spread the avocado mash onto the tostadas. Lay the tuna on the avocado mash. Lightly sprinkle each slice of fish with flaky salt, then add the ginger-scallion sauce (about 2 tsp per tostada) and a drizzle of the chili crisp. Top with the onions and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
For the Scallion Sauce
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 bunch)
¼ cup ginger, finely grated (from two 4-by-1-in. knobs)
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ cup canola oil
For the Tostadas
½ cup sweet white onion, very thinly sliced, or substitute fried shallots
canola oil (about 2 cups), for shallow-frying
12 small (4- to 5-in.) corn tortillas
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 ripe medium Hass avocados, halved and pitted
2 tsp lime juice or bottled yuzu juice, plus more as needed
1 lb chilled sushi-grade tuna, sliced 1/8-in. thick against the grain, or sub sushi-grade scallops and hamachi
flaky sea salt
½ cup ginger-scallion sauce (ingredients above; recipe top right)
King’s Chili Crisp or store-bought Chinese chili crisp, for drizzling
cilantro flowers, micro cilantro, or cilantro leaves, for garnish
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