Chicken Tinga Tostadas with Chipotle Cream

Place 1.5 lb (680 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs in a saucepan with 4 cups water, half an onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until fully cooked.

Remove chicken, reserve 1 cup of the poaching broth, and shred the meat with two forks into thick strands.

Meanwhile, char 4 Roma tomatoes and half a white onion in a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat, turning until blistered and blackened in spots, about 8 minutes.

Transfer charred vegetables to a blender with 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, 2 tbsp adobo sauce, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp ground cumin. Blend until smooth.

Heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Slice remaining half onion thinly and sweat until translucent, about 4 minutes.

Pour in the blended sauce; it will sputter: stir constantly and simmer 5 minutes to concentrate flavours and deepen the colour to brick red.

Add shredded chicken and 1/2 cup reserved broth. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes until the sauce clings to the meat without pooling.

Whisk 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 tbsp lime juice and a pinch of salt to make chipotle cream.

Warm 8 tostada shells briefly in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 2 minutes to refresh their crunch.

Spread each tostada with refried beans, top with chicken tinga, drizzle with lime cream, and finish with crumbled queso fresco, shredded lettuce and sliced avocado.