For most of us, deep-fried food is off the menu, save for occasional treats. High-calorie, high-fat and potentially laced with carcinogens, we try to ignore the siren call of the chip shop.
But the air fryer claims we can have our chip butty and eat it, promising to “fry” food without the fat. “Air-fried foods have the traditional crunch and classic texture of perfectly fried foods, but you can enjoy them without the guilt,” gushes one recipe book. It’s a seductive thought.
But is it true? Not all foods turn out tempting after a spell in the air fryer, and some ingredients are transformed, quite simply, into mush. I’ve learned this the hard way after trying it all in my own Wonder Oven, which I most frequently use to produce “roasting tin” meals: a tray of vegetables, perhaps a bit of meat or fish, baked until the edges are caramelised and the flavours jostle together.
Here’s what you need to know to avoid a dinner disaster.
Cut floury potatoes into chunks, parboil, then shake them. Allow to dry and drizzle with a little oil. Air-fry for about 25 minutes on the highest setting, turning twice, until golden and crisp.
As long as they don’t contain too much sauce, leftovers are often better reheated in an air fryer than in the microwave. They regain their crisp edges rather than turning soggy.
If you have an air fryer with a paddle, such as the Tefal ActiFry or the De’Longhi MultiFry, it will have a solid base rather than a rack, meaning you can cook more liquid dishes, including a proper stirred risotto.
The small space means it won’t dry out, and smells are contained. Rub lightly with oil or pané with breadcrumbs (dust first with flour, then coat in beaten egg and breadcrumbs), and air-fry until crisp and golden.
It turns crisp while staying juicy, though it’s worth checking with a digital thermometer that it has reached 74C before eating. Rub with your choice of seasoning and cook for 9 to 10 minutes per side.
Cut into chunks, toss with oil, salt and smoked paprika, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Add chunks of onion or leek after 10 minutes, as these darken quickly.
Spray trimmed leaves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay in a single layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes at 190C, shaking the pan after 2 minutes. Leave to cool and crisp on a rack while you cook another batch.
You can make good oven-baked versions, but don’t expect the thick crust or unctuous quality of food cooked in hot oil.
Wet batters will drip off before they have a chance to set.
Fresh cheese will slide around, so even in a toastie you need to weigh it down, secure it with a toothpick or use frozen slices.
You can bake a bready dough in some air fryers, but runny doughs and churros are a non-starter.
Spinach and chard tend to turn to mush.
To understand how air fryers work, it helps to know that when food goes into an oven, it creates a kind of insulating blanket of air around itself. This makes it harder for heat in a conventional oven to reach and cook it.
An air fryer blasts hot air at the food – rather like a fan oven, but more powerfully and in a smaller space – penetrating that layer more quickly and browning food faster.
It’s a similar principle to a hairdryer, which will dry your hair more quickly than sitting in front of a hot radiator. In fact, frying works largely by drying food: the oil forces water out of the outer layers, leaving them dehydrated and crisp. By blasting heat all around the food, manufacturers say, air fryers replicate the effect of hot oil swirling around it, but without the fat.
Fat levels are lower than with deep frying, which is a large part of the appeal, but you will need counter space. The machines themselves are sizeable – at least as big as a food processor – and larger, double-drawer models take up as much room as a small microwave.
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