Claymates
Growing up, the turquoise walls of my grandma's kitchen under the 405 freeway were perfumed with the scent of corn tortillas fried in oil—for ground beef tostadas with shredded iceberg lettuce and jack cheese for dinner, wrapped around a hot dog and dipped in ketchup for my favorite after school snack, or just heaped in a pile with guacamole and salsa on the side. My own house feels like home when it smells the same.
I strongly believe that the reward of frying your own chips at home far outweighs the effort, and handing your friend a bowl of hot chips when they walk into your kitchen is a beautiful gesture of love and care.
It's a blessing that in most parts of this country we don't have to travel far to find a Mexican grocery store. If you aren't already, consider becoming a valued customer at the one nearest you. Where I live in rural North Carolina, the tienda is the closest food store—an easy stop on the way home from picking up my kids. In there is a big white Igloo cooler with homemade tortillas restocked fresh each morning. I use those.
To make chips at home, pour about two inches of corn or canola oil in a wide, shallow pan that retains heat well. Keep your tortillas in a nice fat 2 inch stack and cut them like a pizza in sixes.
Make yourself a drink while the oil heats up.
Grandma always just flicked a damp hand toward the pan to see when the oil was ready, but I guess I shouldn't suggest you do the same.
Have a baking sheet ready and lined with paper towels. Really the only trick is to resist too much multitasking. It's overrated anyway, have you heard?
Use a nice long pair of metal tongs to give them a flip and put them on your baking sheet when they're golden. Toss them in plenty of salt and a squeeze of lime while they're still hot.
