The Indio International Tamale Festival, the world’s largest celebration of all things tamale, is just a few weeks away on Dec 2-3. To celebrate the occasion and the start of Las Posadas (the 9-day Mexican holiday celebration leading into Christmas), Chef Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza in LA and has been awarded a James Beard Award, has created a recipe for Pozole Salad Tostadas, which will be served exclusively at the event. A twist on traditional holiday fare, the enticing recipe includes rotisserie chicken, baked hominy, and guajillo peppers and gets a flavorful kick from TABASCO® Sauce. With Thanksgiving this week and the possibility of tons of turkey leftovers, the rotisserie chicken can easily be replaced with turkey.
Pozole Salad Tostadas
Created by Chef Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza
Ingredients
For Baked Hominy
1 1/2 cup canned Mexican hominy, drained
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground oregano
For Guajillo Peppers and Oil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 dried guajillo peppers, sliced in 1/4-inch rings
For Tostada Dressing
1 cup Mexican crema
2 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon TABASCO® Sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
For Salad
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 radishes, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon TABASCO® Sauce
For Tostadas
2 rotisserie chicken breasts, shredded
6 tostadas
Preparation
For Baked Hominy
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place the hominy on a parchment lined baking sheet so they are evenly spaced out. Sprinkle sea salt, pepper and ground oregano. Bake for 15-20 minutes until hominy is dried and crunchy. Set aside.
For Guajillo Peppers and Oil
In a cool pan, add the olive oil and guajillo peppers, and simmer over low heat for 7 minutes. Remove peppers from oil, cool and reserve both the oil and pepper rings separately.
For Tostada Dressing
In a bowl, whisk in the crema, oregano, garlic salt, chili powder, black pepper, TABASCO® Sauce, and cayenne pepper. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the reserved guajillo oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dressing is thickened and emulsified.
For Salad
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, radishes, onion, lime juice, TABASCO® Sauce, and baked hominy. Mix well and let marinate for a few minutes.
Serving Suggestion
To assemble, spread each tostada with dressing, then layer it with shredded chicken, and top with salad. Garnish with guajillo pepper rings.
Makes 6 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
