Yeah, so the taste of an out-of-the-bag Cool Ranch chip doesn’t exactly approximate ranch dressing. But that wasn’t really the draw back in 1986 when the chip debuted, was it? The ability to finally choose between the classic red Doritos bag and the new blue bag, filled with strangely speckled chips, was a mind-blowingly liberating experience for young tastebuds.
YIELD: approximately 20 dozen chips
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
DIFFICULTY: 3
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), spice grinder or mini food processor, heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer
vegetable or canola oil for frying
1 package 6-inch corn tortillas
2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese powder (see page 12)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (see page 12)
1-1/2 teaspoons dried chives
3/4 teaspoon citric acid (see page 13)
3/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set an upside-down wire cooling rack on top (see Deep Frying 101, page 188).
Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles (cut into quarters, then cut each quarter in half).
Grind all the remaining ingredients together in a spice grinder or mini food processor. Pour the powdered mixture into a gallon-size zip-top bag.
Fry the chips until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should not take more than 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the lined baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
Once all the chips are cool, place them in the zip-top bag and shake to coat lightly with the seasoning powder. Remove from the bag and return to the cooling rack, shaking gently to remove excess powder if necessary.
These chips taste best the day they’re made.