Air Fryers: Not just for chips!

The worktop wonder that could help you trim your electricity bill and your waist.

Air fryers are having their moment in the spotlight, which is no surprise considering how many advantages there are to cooking with these clever worktop wonders. Because you don’t need to use oil like conventional frying, they’re touted as a healthier way to make all sorts of meals. They’re typically faster and more energy efficient than traditional ovens too – a plus when it comes to trimming those sky-high electricity bills. Better still, they give great results!

Top tip: If you love your fakeaways, air frying could be a healthy shortcut to getting that convincing ‘deep-fried’ crispy golden finish.

Just like ovens, air fryers vary widely, and getting to know yours better will help you adjust temperatures and timing. Adjust temperatures and timing until you get to know what works best for what.

Air fryers are a versatile piece of equipment and their use is only limited by your imagination.

Top tips to get the best out of your air fryer:

To get that golden-all-over finish, the air needs to be able to get to the food on all sides. Aim to cook things in a single layer, without stacking, overlapping or squashing items together. This may sometimes mean you’ll need to cook in batches. It’s worth checking the instructions, because you can use foil or baking paper in some air fryers, while special liners are needed for others. Generally, the advice is if you’re using foil or baking paper, make sure it’s either under the food or tightly over it and attached to the basket, so it can’t make contact with the heating element. Ovenproof dishes and trays can be used in most air fryers. Check the instructions, though, to avoid any possible damage to the appliance’s non-stick coating.

Unless whatever you’re cooking needs to be a certain way up (eg it has a topping), flipping the food halfway will give a more even cooking result. For smaller items such as chips, shaking the basket is another way to make sure things get cooked all over.

If you can cook it from frozen in the oven, it’ll cook from frozen in the air fryer! Stay safe by making sure any raw fish, meat or poultry is done before you eat it. If it’s not quite ready, give it a few more minutes, then check again.

If you can cook it from frozen in the oven, it’ll cook from frozen in the air fryer! Stay safe by making sure any raw fish, meat or poultry is done before you eat it. If it’s not quite ready, give it a few more minutes, then check again.

Another pro tip is using an airfryer to finish off meats and proteins. Once you have seared your protein and have a nice crust, add them to the airfryer at around 160°C to continue cooking. The lower temperature allows for a more even cook - and of course remember to rest your meat before serving. This has the added benefit of freeing up stove space for other items. Especially if you're running the airfryer on an inverter during load shedding where you may only have one alternative gas stove burner.

Airfryers are a versatile piece of equipment and their use is only limited by your imagination. You can try baking pastries and cakes or even the perfect toasted open sandwich. They also clean up really easily with some models, you can wash the baskets in the dishwasher.

Look out for our CleanPlate Co. airfryer friendly dishes using the filter selector.

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Written for Clean Plate Co. at www.cleanplate.co.za Author © 2024:

Chef Alex Webber