I remember making corn chips for my nephews one day and them saying, “You mean it’s just frying pieces of corn tortillas in oil?!” Use your hands to tear the tortillas for rough-around-the-edges corn chips and fry them until they reach a deep golden color so they’ll be crunchy and tasty. If they’re too pale, they’ll be chewy and lack that toasty flavor. Makes 60 chips (about 8 cups).
Canola oil for deep-frying
15 corn tortillas
Kosher salt
The chips will keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can rewarm them in a 250°F oven, if desired.
Pour 3 inches of oil into a large heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Meanwhile, tear each tortilla in half, and then tear the halves in half.
Working in batches, cook the tortilla chips in the hot oil, stirring nearly constantly with a spider or slotted spoon, for about 3 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Use the spider to remove the chips from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Season immediately with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
A spider is a wide, shallow wire-mesh basket with a long wooden handle. It’s a handy utensil to have by your side in the kitchen—you can use it to lift and drain foods from soups, stocks, water, or oil.