Known around the world as the Nacho King, Ricky Davidson is an absolute legend in the industry. His ability to make a structurally sound plate of nachos is second to none.
Rumour has it that Ricky once bathed in a bath of corn chips and cheese in the coastal Mexican town of Mazunte to be spiritually accepted by the ancient Mayan God of Nacho.
Good Nacho were lucky enough to catch Ricky and ask him some quick questions on how to make it in the thick, fickle and crunchy nacho industry.
Name: Ricky Davidson
Nickname: Sticky Ricky Nacho Chief
Age: 21
Hometown: Beaconsfield, Victoria
Height: 178cm
Weight: 73kg
Year turned pro: 2007
Year retired: 2012
Past Employers: Taco Bill
Best known in the nacho world for: Making bloody good Nachos.
Favorite quote: "I bet somewhere out there, a horse is drinking coffee" - Homer J. Simpson.
Good Nacho: Hi Ricky, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to Good Nacho. For all aspiring nacho artists out there, can you tell us how you got into nacho making?
Ricky: I started out getting a job at a Mexican Restaurant. I began as a dish pig, then was named 'Nacho King' not long after, as one night one of our cooks was ill and had to leave early. I stepped in and made a bloody ripper Nachos, and after that I was always called upon to make whatever Nachos it was that our customers were after, whether it be plain, beef, chicken, beans or a combination of all three!
GN: Wow! a combination of all 3! That's amazing! And why is it that you decided to retire when you were clearly at the peak of your career?
Ricky: I wouldn't say I retired as such, but I got a new job which wasn't in the Nacho industry. I still make them at home if we're having a Mexican dinner, or if I'm with buddies and they want some Nachos made by the King!
GN: Is it true that when you are nervous you subconsciously scream nacho?
Ricky: Nacho!
GN: Corn chip or tortilla chip?
Ricky: Corn chips for days!
GN: If you could be a corn chip, what type would you be? Round, triangular, beetroot flavor etc...
Ricky: I'd have to go with the triangular chip. I don't want anything to do with beetroot, especially a beetroot flavoured corn chip.
GN: Describe to us how you use to layer your nachos.
Ricky: 1. Starting off with the plate, sprinkle a bit of cheese on the plate, this is so the Nachos don't go slip n' sliding all over the place, (and there is never any harm adding additional cheese!)
2. Layer down some chips evenly to cover the face of the plate.
(now from here, there are two ways to go about the cheese/fillings, and here is the way to start fast tracking your Nacho King career.)
3. If you're adding some sort of meat/bean, place it on the chips, then add your cheese. This way, you have chip and filling covered in delicious, delicious cheese. The cheese melts the filling to the chip, making it easier to handle, and you'll find you won't have as much of a mess.
4. Now repeat the third step, making sure you go chip... filling... cheese, all the way up. You'll want to make sure the shape of your nacho resembles that of a pyramid, this is so the Nachos don't fall over.
5. Now that you have made it to the top of the pyramid, I suggest putting the Nachos in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds, this may seem sac-religious to the traditional nacho maker but let me explain - melting the cheese this way lessens the risk of over cooking or burning the chips in the oven.
6. After the Nachos have been in the microwave, you'll only need to put them in the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until you see the cheese melting over the golden corn chips.
STICKY RICKY HINT: If the cheese starts to bubble, you're in a bit of trouble, as the bubbling cheese will become stiff, so you'll be left with a miserable texture of stiff chip and stiff cheese, which nobody wants. You want your cheese to be runny and stringy! So if it does start to bubble, just start over.
GN: We heard that you once made a tray of nachos that stood taller than Michael Jordan. Is this rumour true?
Ricky: Well as tall as Michael Jordan may be a bit of a fib. This is because they were roughly the size of the Great Pyramid in Giza, except it didn't take 20 years to make and there wasn't 100,000 men in the production. It only took about half an hour at most and there was only one man involved...... the Nacho King!!!!!!
GN: OK, no need to scream that Ricky. Do you think one day you will make a return to the game?
Ricky: It's hard to say at this point, I'll always be a part of the game, whether I'm working in the industry or not, Nachos are always good, whether it be as a main meal at a restaurant, or whipped up in your own home. But there will always be Nachos to be made by the King!
GN: What advice have you got for the young kids out there who want to become a future Ricky Davidson nacho king or queen?
Ricky: Don't bother for I am, and always will be, the Nacho King. But if you do want to bother I guess grab some chips and cheese and go through the six steps above, get a job at a Mexican joint or buy my soon to be released book,
Six Easy Steps to Nacho published by Guac and Co.
Oh... and Egmont cheese is the cheese to use, don't bother with your mozzarella or tasty or cheddar or any other bullshit cheese, because Egmont is the cheese of the Nacho Kings!
For more updates on Ricky stay tuned to Good Nacho. Ricky will be participating in an 'Ask Ricky' column on our Facebook page so make sure you 'like' and keep checking Good Nacho facebook for more details.
