Totopos (tortilla chips)
Totopos (tortilla chips)
2014-01-16 10:53:24
These are primarily associated with American nachos, but they are also a traditional way of using up tortillas that have gone stale, especially in the classic Mexican comfort-food chilaquiles.
Ingredients
- 12 or 13 corn tortillas (or as many as you have available)
- Oil of your choice
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut the tortillas into triangular wedges. (I actually use a pizza-cutter for this). To save time, cut through several tortillas at once. This will also help achieve a more uniform shape.
- The traditional way to cook totopos is to fry them, and the traditional Mexican frying fat is pork lard. However, I find olive oil works better, considering the amount of fat you need for frying (and it’s a bit healthier). You can also use a flavourless oil like sunflower.
- In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, heat ¾ of an inch of oil over high heat.
- Drop your tortilla wedges into the oil and fry them a minute or two until they turn a golden colour. If necessary, turn them to fry a few seconds (not more than half a minute) on the other side.
- Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, and sprinkle with salt before they cool.
Although I live in Scotland, I have a fear of gratuitous frying, so I often bake my totopos. To bake
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.
- Lightly grease a baking tray with oil (preferably olive oil).
- Lay the tortilla wedges on the tray (be careful not to crowd them) and brush with olive oil.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp (they will go a shade darker, but don’t let them brown).
- Remove the totopos to some kitchen roll and sprinkle with salt before they cool.
- Repeat until you have baked all your tortilla chips.
- The Cool Chile Company makes by far the best corn tortillas available in the UK. Most big-name brands use wheat flour to bulk up their tortillas, which affects texture and flavour, apart from being completely inauthentic.
Mexigeek
- Is an Edinburgh-based blogger and his site is a journey in celebration of Mexican food in the UK: home cooking, restaurant reviews and the finest products and ingredients on the market. Find more recipes and news at http://mexigeekedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/
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