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Fried Tortillas Topped With Chicken And Lettuce
(Chicken Tostadas)
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| What You Need: |
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3 one-pound chicken breasts
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup coarsely chopped celery, including the leaves
1 medium-sized bay leaf, crumbled
6 fresh parsley sprigs
8 whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
1 firm medium-sized head of iceberg lettuce
6 to 8 tablespoons lard
12 corn tortillas, thoroughly defrosted if frozen
Poor man's butter
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Place the chicken breasts in a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan and pour in enough water to cover them by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the foam and scum as they rise to the surface.
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2. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns and salt, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chicken partially covered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the breasts have turned opaque and feel firm when prodded with a finger.
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3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken breasts to a plate, and discard the cooking liquid and seasonings. Remove the skin from the breasts with a small knife or your fingers. Cut or pull the meat away from the bones.
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4. Discard the skin and bones and cut the meat into strips about 1/8-inchwide and 1½ to 2 inches long. Wash the head of lettuce under coldrunning water and remove the tough outer leaves.
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5. With a small sharp knife, cut out the core from the base of the head.To shred the lettuce, cut the head into quarters and slice the quarterscrosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips.
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6. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the lard over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking. Add one tortilla and fry it for about 1 minute on each side, or until it is crisp and lightly browned.
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7. With tongs, transfer the fried tortilla (now a tostada) to paper towels to drain while you fry the remaining tortillas. Replenish the lard in the skillet as you proceed, adding it by the tablespoonful when necessary.
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8. To assemble the tostadas, place two of them side by side on each of six heated serving plates. Scatter the chicken strips and shredded lettuce over the tostadas, dividing the chicken and lettuce equally among them.
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9. Mound a tablespoonful of the poor man's butter on top of each tostada and serve the rest in a bowl. Serve the chicken tostadas at once, accompanied if you like by red tomato taco sauce or jalapeno sauce.
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