Air fryers or air fryers They achieved their popularity during a pandemic, with many people exchanging recipes at a time when cooking at home had become a necessary occupation, and their success has continued in recent years because these appliances allow food to be cooked quickly and with less fat. traditional frying methods. However, although this appliance is versatile, it is not suitable for preparing all types of foods.
How an Air Fryer Works
An air fryer works by circulating hot air around food to cook and brown its surface. It’s basically a small convection oven. This allows food to be browned evenly on all sides, mimicking the effect of traditional frying, but with much less, if any, oil.
The device uses a fan which propels hot air generated by a resistance, creating uniform and rapid cooking. The result, with luck and skill, is food that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Some of the most commonly cooked foods in the air fryer These are “fried” potatoes. When fried, immersed in hot enough oil, the outer layer of the potatoes caramelizes, becoming crispy. In the fryer they are lightly cooked with oil or wrapped with it before putting them, obtaining a similar effect (it is never the same) but with less fat. The same goes for other breaded or floured foods that would traditionally be fried, such as croquettes, ravioli, or Roman-style squid.
But the results are not always as good with other foods and preparations. These are the ones we should leave out of the air fryer.
Fresh or soft breaded
Foods that have a very moist or liquid coating, such as freshly made croquettes, tempura, or floured and egg-dipped squid. In the air fryer, wet batter or breading will drip or fall apart before it is properly cooked. Unlike what happens in conventional frying, where the oil quickly seals the surface of the food, the air fryer it doesn’t offer the same type of surround cooking at the same speed. These same frozen foods can, however, give good results.
fresh dairy products
Another case is that of fresh cheeses and dairy products. If you try to toast cheese directly in an air fryer, the concentrated heat will quickly melt it before it can form a crispy or browned layer, which can cause the cheese to leak out of the pan. Breaded foods such as cheese sticks should have a well-sealed coating or be pre-frozen to prevent cheese from leaking out before the package is properly cooked. Products that are already breaded and frozen have a drier and more compact coating.
fresh vegetables
Vegetables with a high water content, such as asparagus, cucumber, or leafy greens like spinach, can also be a problem. These vegetables tend to dehydrate too quickly in the flow of hot air, making them dry, tough, or even burnt. Although the air fryer It is excellent for achieving crunchy textures in vegetables with less water, such as potatoes or carrots; chewier vegetables require other cooking methods, such as sautéing or boiling, to preserve their texture and their natural flavor. Additionally, when cooking these foods in air fryeruniform cooking is not achieved, leaving some parts crunchy and other parts dry or fibrous.
Sauce recipes
Foods covered in sauce also pose problems in this type of appliance. Sauces tend to drip quickly under heavy air circulation, which not only causes the dish to lose its flavor, but can also create a mess inside the dish. air fryer when the sauce burns at the bottom of the container. If you want to cook a saucy dish, such as barbecue ribs with barbecue sauce, it is best to cook the food in the fryer first, then add the sauce at the end to prevent burning or spoil. This is especially important for sweet sauces, which tend to caramelize or burn quickly at high temperatures.
Bacon or torreznos
Another category to avoid is foods with a high fat content, such as bacon or bacon. Although it seems tempting to prepare bacon in a air fryerfat that melts during the process can splatter and create smoke, in addition to leaving the interior of the appliance dirty and difficult to clean. Remember that the air fryer is designed to cook with little or no fat.
Delicate desserts
Foods that require long and constant cooking, such as certain types of pastries, do not go well in the oven. air fryer. If recipes for sponge cakes, muffins and cheesecakes abound, more delicate recipes which require uniform and gentle heat for a long time, such as flans or lemon tart on a shortcrust pastry base, suffer from hot air, causing them to cook unevenly or dry out. too quickly. For desserts that require a soft texture or a creamy center, the traditional oven remains the best option.
An air fryer is a very versatile appliance, but it’s not suitable for everything. Each cooking method has its strengths and limitations, and it is important to understand which foods work best in that appliance to ensure proper maintenance.
