January 31, 2013

Homemade Tortilla Chips...

Homemade Tortilla Chips
As you know, I'm trying to blog more regularly these days, at least once a week. Friday is usually the day I can get to do that, but when I have a busy week and there's little or no time to go food shopping, I try and come up with something I can blog about and which I have ingredients to make and photograph before all light is gone. Like many bloggers, this is a hobby for me, a passion and a pastime, this means that the day job, and in our case, the night job, have priority over everything else. This was one of those weeks but I wanted to blog anyway, so I realised I had three unfinished posts, I took a quick survey on my facebook page and it was sort of 50-50 between tortilla chips & a chicken dish, the deciding factor was the fact that I had everything at home to make this, so I did it.

Who doesn't love tortilla chips anyway?! I for one, love their crispiness and how easy they are to make. Every single Mexican food restaurant in Mexico, would welcome you to your table with a plateful of these and two or three salsas in little bowls. They are kind of a standard starter for use of a better word. All restaurants make them from scratch and their flavour and texture is far from the paper thin baked ones you get in the supermarket and they are so much more satisfying as well! If you have any leftover, you can make nachos and they won't fall apart and go soggy,  you can turn them into red chilaquiles or use them as croutons for your soup. They're Coeliac friendly, super quick to make and they taste divine. They are, I grant you, fried, but at least you know what goes into making them, rather than getting those with all the E numbers & artificial flavours in them. Go on give them a try, you won't regret it!

Homemade Tortilla Chips
(serves 2 or 3 people as a snack)

Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas, you can buy them here
Vegetable oil for frying, about 1 cup
Chili & Lime Powder, you can buy it here

Onto the Cooking:

1.- Using a sharp knife, cut the tortillas in half, then in four, then in six and then in eight parts, so that you end up with 8 triangles per tortilla.



2.- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan at high heat



3.- Drop the tortilla triangles gently into the hot oil to fry. Use a large perforated spoon and a fork to separate the tortillas in the oil and to turn them when they start going golden




4.- Fry the tortillas for about 40 seconds on either side or until they are golden brown and crispy



5.- Using the perforated spoon, take them out of the oil shaking any leftover oil and place them on a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel. The paper towel will absorb any excess oil.



6.- Shake some of the chili & lime powder while they're still hot and a little bit oily.

 Your homemade tortilla chips are ready to enjoy! We had them with a little squeeze of lime juice and a shot of tequila! Perfect party food or afternoon snack.

My homemade Tortilla Chips





6 comments:

  1. Ah this brings back memories of making these in 100 degree weather (very hot)in Mississippi, while working for a place that made its own Nachos from scratch.

    I do wonder why more people don't make them, they are easy (provided you can get the tortillas, home made tortillas tend to be a bit thicker and harder to cut). They taste so much better than anything from the shop - will have to see about making some the next time we order tortillas.

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    1. So true Melodi! I made a batch in the market for customers to try before Christmas and people couldn't believe the difference, it also introduced them to the chili & lime powder, which I adore, and a lot of people who used to get the packet ones are now making them from scratch. Thanks for the comment! :)

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  2. Ahh yey - I will be really happy to see you blog more often Lily!

    I love making tortilla chips at home - so easy and much better than the ones you can get in the shops!

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    1. I'll do my best Claire! :) and yes, I think homemade ones are so much better! :) Will be posting the baked version soon. Thanks for the lovely comment!

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  3. Even though I voting for the pollo pibil, who can resist homemade tortilla chips? They're so much better than potato crisps.

    Sometimes I bake my totopos instead of frying them. I brush a baking tray with oil, arange the tortilla pieces, brush the tops with a little more oil (I use a pastry brush), and bake at 150 for about 20 minutes.

    I've usually been pleased with the result, and they make good chilaquiles as well.

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    1. I promise I'll do the Yucatan Style Chicken next! I thought I had banana leaves in the freezer, but I didn't so tortilla chips it was. Yes, I do the baked version every now and then, but these fried ones are my guilty pleasure! They are soooo good! Thanks for sharing the way you make them and for the comment! :)

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