Home Fried Tortilla Chips

This week has really gotten away from me, but what a great week!  So here's what I have today: home fried tortilla chips! Might be the easiest thing I do, and saves our grocery bill the most amount of money. That fact that I said fried has already told you that this one isn't about making it healthier, instead they are tastier and SO MUCH cheaper!
So here's how to begin.  I like to use a 12 quart pot.  Mine happens to be the orange Rachael Ray pot and I love it.  But at this point I only use it for frying, and actually keep my oil in it until it needs to be changed.  I like the 12 quart pot because it reduces the splashing and clean up.  I pour about three inches or so into the pan. Heat the oil to 380 degrees, this is really important.  At first I would flick water into the grease and judge the temp by the pop.  But, my fried favorites have improved since I invested in a thermometer.  Cut your flour tortillas into quarters. My family prefers yellow corn, but white is good too.  I also stick to Mission brand, only because I have not mastered the home tortilla yet.  Moved away from my Mexican friends before I thought to have them teach me! When we were living in Texas I would buy homemade tortillas at the grocery store.  And yes, the tortilla matters! When you use the first brand you don't like, you will believe me. I do about 10 tortillas at a time, which is 40 pieces. 

Once your oil is hot, drop in the tortillas. I prefer using an Asian spatula, which is a small wire scoop to move them around and separate them in the oil. Put on the lid and let them fry for five to eight minutes. Check on them and move them around with the scoop to be sure they are all in the oil.

Make a pile of paper towel to put the chips on when you pull them out.  I use a wire rack with a cookie sheet and paper towel, but the paper towel on a cookie sheets works just fine.  Using the spatula, pull out a chip and check to see if it cracks on the paper towel. You have to push on it with the spatula.  I did use large tongs before I bought the spatula.  I was too cheap and had to wait for a good deal at Kohl's.  Fry them until they are done enough for you.  You will start to figure out what that means after you fry a few times.  I like them done a bit more than the family does, so a vary my batches. 

Once they are cooked to your liking, scoop them onto the paper towel. If you are doing more, place the next batch in while the first cools.  The first batch can be dusted with salt, or your favorite seasoning.  I mix salt, garlic, pepper, cumin and paprika, I my secret seasoning, LOL.  I then put them into a paper grocery sack or a large Tupperware container lined with fresh paper towel. Once you have moved the first batch, repeat with the following batches. 





After my oil has cooled, I store it in the coolest room in the house with the lid on.  I strain the oil between most batches and never use the oil for anything else.  If you boil something battered it will dirty it up.  I also like doing most batter fried items in a different pan anyway.  But we eat chips that often in our house.  I am assuming there might be less preservatives, but not actually sure.  We eat the chips for about three weeks before they are really considered stale. But you do have to keep them in a sealed container.  During football season we go through a large batch each weekend, so leftovers are not an issue. 

You can also fry flour tortillas the same way. Then instead of a salt seasoning, you would dust them with a cinnamon sugar mix.  I like cinnamon and powdered sugar.  Add a little honey or chocolate dip and they are a great dessert!

Home fried tortilla chips will not make your family any healthier, but it will help your pocket book!

Here's to a healthier family! Cheers!