Nopalito's Totopos

The restaurant 
Nopalito – San Francisco, CA

The dish
Totopos, one of the most popular appetizers at this upscale Mexican restaurant.

The experience
When I first saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home. The ingredients are simple but I the combination is complex. I'm planning to scale it up and serve it at an upcoming summer BBQ.

Ingredients
8 oz tortilla chips (about half a bag)
1/2 cup salsa de arbol (store bought or recipe below)
1/4 cup queso fresco or cotija cheese
1/2 cup thinned sour cream
Lime wedges
Handful of cilantro (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Warm salsa in a small saucepan over low heat.

Arrange tortilla chips on a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes.

Transfer chips to serving bowl and add salsa, tossing gently to combine. Keep adding salsa until the chips are coated. Top with cheese and cilantro, if using.

Serve with sour cream and lime wedges.

Salsa de arbol
This specialty salsa can be found in Latin American grocers (or if you're in SF, you can buy Nopalito's own sauce). It's also easy to make yourself if you can't find it in a store. The following recipe comes from The Commodore in Brooklyn, via Saveur.

2 tbsp. canola oil
4 cloves garlic
1⁄4 white onion, chopped
55 dried chile de arbol, stems removed
1 tomato, roughly chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high; cook garlic until brown, 3 minutes. Add onion and cook 3 minutes more. Add chiles and cook 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1⁄4 cup water; cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 8-10 minutes. Place in a blender with salt and 10 tbsp. water; purée until smooth.

Photo courtesy of Nopalito