Tips & Tricks: Airfrying

Air frying has become one of the most popular and creative ways of preparing food over recent years. The idea behind it is simple: instead of frying food in oil or baking it in the oven, it is cooked in hot air until crisp, using just a fraction of the oil needed for deep frying. This innovative air-frying technology produces deliciously crunchy results that are neither overly greasy nor dry.

An air fryer is an electrical appliance that works like a miniature oven and features a heating element and a fan. The food is placed in a perforated basket or tray to allow hot air to circulate around it, browning or frying it until crisp. Some ovens now feature an air frying function, NEFF’s new Premium Oven Range among them. NEFF’s offering has several significant benefits: no second appliance is required in the kitchen and the air fry & grill tray that comes with it can also be used in conjunction with other heating modes to produce succulent barbecue dishes.

Foodies laud air frying as a healthier alternative to conventional methods of frying and baking, because it reduces the absorption of unhealthy trans fats and prevents cooked food from drying out. Meat and fish develop a crispy crust, while remaining delightfully soft and succulent inside. It’s also a very quick method of cooking, with plenty of hot air circulating evenly around the food in the basket or tray.

One of the biggest benefits of air frying is the versatility it offers. While it is an ideal method for producing crunchy chips, chicken wings or potato crisps, it can also be used to cook meat, fish, vegetables or even desserts such as doughnuts or apple crisps with cinnamon and sugar. Unlike the deep fat fryer, the air fryer offers huge scope for experimentation with creative taste combinations: chips can be flavoured with garlic powder or paprika powder, for instance, or chicken wings grilled after dipping in a marinade of yoghurt and Indian spices to produce a delectable crust. Thinly sliced parsnips, beetroot and sweet potatoes marinated in olive oil and spices can also be fried in the air fryer, resulting in deliciously crunchy, wafer-thin crisps.

Not only is air frying extremely easy, but it is also an eco-friendly method of cooking since it uses less oil, and thus fewer natural resources. Nor does any excess used oil have to be disposed of. And there’s no elaborate cleaning process to boot.

In short, air frying is a fantastic option for health-conscious cooks with a creative flair. This versatile and innovative method of cooking is suitable for a wide range of foods, while the delectably crispy results are a joy to eat! Try it once, and you won’t look back!

INGREDIENTS

250g root or tuber vegetables (e.g. beetroots, parsnips, carrots)

1-2 tablespoon(s) olive oil (or rape seed oil)

1-2 teaspoon(s) sea salt

PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINUTES + 30-40 MINUTES BAKING TIME

Preheat the oven to 160°C Air Fry. Peel the vegetables and use a vegetable slicer to slice them thinly. Dry the slices thoroughly on kitchen paper, then mix well with the olive oil in a bowl.

Spread the vegetable slices on the perforated Air Fry baking tray.

Place the tray in the oven at rack position two and bake the vegetables for 30–40 minutes until crisp. Open the oven and turn the slices halfway through the cooking time.

Transfer the cooked crisps from the oven to a bowl and mix carefully with salt. They will become even crunchier as they cool. Store in an airtight container.