Easy Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

I've been daydreaming about summer a lot lately. I'm picturing lazy weekend afternoons spent sitting in the hot sun with a glass of something icy-cold and a bowl of something salty-crisp. I've been especially craving tortilla chips--salty, still-hot from the fryer, served by the basket with a variety of fresh salsas and creamy guacamole for dipping.

Doesn't that just sound perfect?

Last weekend, the craving kind of got to me and, remembering the large package of corn tortillas sitting in our fridge, I decided to do something about it.

"Want homemade tortilla chips?" I asked Eugene, who was wandering around the apartment after having advised that he was feeling a bit peckish (totally my word--he doesn't say things like "peckish"). "That sounds like a lot of work," he replied.

"It's really not."

And with that, I headed to kitchen and started heating oil in my old cast iron skillet. The prep work for homemade tortillas in ridiculously minimal: just heat the oil and quarter the tortillas. A quick pass of the knife through the entire stack of 10 tortillas yielded 40 chips--perfect for the two of us.

Once the oil was shivery and hot, I dropped in the tortilla triangles a few at a time, letting them fry about 1-2 minutes on each side before flipping for another minute. I used a heavy slotted metal spoon to scoop them out and drain on a large cookie sheet lined with paper towel.

I salted them liberally with freshly cracked sea salt, and served the chips with some fresh salsa verde that I got from Gabriela at the food swap last week.

 These taste just like the chips they serve at good Mexican restaurants--crisp, light, and fresh. These aren't the same heavy chips you can buy by the bagful--no these taste like pure luxury. And if you're anything like me, the simple fact of having made them yourself will only add to the pleasure.

Another awesome thing? The tortilla chips keep really well--seal any leftovers in a big zipped baggie (or make extra on purpose) and you'll have snacks for the next couple nights.

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips
This is more of a method than a recipe, and can be doubled or tripled as necessary. You can also get creative with the seasonings--add pepper, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, or anything you'd like to really spice things up.

Ingredients
round corn tortillas (yellow or white corn will both work)
canola or vegetable oi
Sea salt


Directions
Pour canola or vegetable oil into a heavy bottomed skillet or pot until it is about 1" deep. Heat over medium high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

While the oil heats, use a knife to quarter the tortilas (for smaller chips, cut the tortilla into sixths).  Once the oil is hot, drop the tortilla quarters into the hot oil in batches, being sure not to crowd the pan. Let the chips fry for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom; flip for another 30 seconds. Use a slotted metal spoon to remove from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Salt immediately to taste. Serve hot or let cool and store in zipped plastic bags for up to 5 days.