Crispy, flavorful, golden fries,
or a sad, soggy mess? Your air fryer can make both, so make sure you do it right.
When it comes to cooking literally anything, the simple act of preheating your air fryer
can transform you from a rookie with a recipe to a professional home chef. Some air fryers,
like the Philips air fryer, don't call for preheating. However, you might still consider
doing it, especially if your food always looks like a soggy, disappointing mess.
Imagine Cinderella transforming from a lowly servant to a princess with a mere flick of
a magic wand. Well, that's how magical preheating your air fryer can be, too.
"Preposterous!"
No, seriously! Preheating your device will prepare your fries much quicker,
and they will have that restaurant-quality crisp and crunch. Using an air fryer is similar to using
an oven in that you're going to want to make sure you take the time to preheat. Some recipes
might not demand that you preheat, but you're better off preheating the air fryer anyway.
Some foods, like pastries and thick raw meat, are better without preheating, though. However,
we strongly recommend you preheat your air fryer before cooking fries. Especially if you're looking
for that audible crunch when you bite into one of those golden sticks of salty goodness.
"But that's really hard!"
Now, now, don't fret. Preheating your device isn't rocket science. Read your air fryer manual
to learn exactly how to preheat your device. Some models come equipped with
a preheat function. If your air fryer does not have this feature, simply set
the temperature at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes, and you're golden.
Cooking spray is such a neat and handy kitchen tool. So why not use it in your air fryer and save
yourself from the hassle of scraping and washing, right? Wrong. While to error is human, the mistake
of using a cooking spray in an air fryer is a disaster of epic proportions. And here's why.
You can use cooking oils in an air fryer with no problem. However, cooking sprays tend to damage
the surface of the air fryer basket. These baskets have a non-stick coating that tends
to chip away when they come into contact with harsh chemicals. Most aerosol sprays,
like Pam, have an ingredient called lecithin — a surfactant with emulsifying properties.
As this substance comes into contact with Teflon, the result is a stubborn sticky
buildup that eventually damages the surface of the basket, ruining the quality of your food.
Now imagine your fries are simmering in the heat,
turning from pale yellow to a gorgeous golden brown, just how you like it. But
when you pull out the drawer, you find dark bits of Teflon sticking to your fries. So,
the bottom line is if you don't want to render your fries inedible, stop using store-bought
cooking sprays. If you prefer the ease of using a cooking spray, you can simply use an oil sprayer.
Warning! Skipping this step can result in a culinary disaster!
Do you want sad, soggy fries devoid of flavor?
"No! Anything but that!"
Didn't think so! Often, folks zip right on past soaking the potatoes and wonder what went wrong.
Crying over that messy clump of fries certainly won't fix your problem. But here's a little advice
that can make a big difference the next time you cook your fries in the air fryer. Make sure
that before you do anything, whip out a bowl of cold water. Once you've cut up your fries to the
desired length, put them in the bowl. You can even add a few cubes of ice to it. And here's
a bonus tip for you! Using chilled saltwater will give you even more exceptional results.
You see, soaking the potatoes in cold water releases starch and gives your
fries a nice crispy layer when cooked. You should
let the fries soak for about an hour to get that coveted crunchy texture.
You'll eventually see the water becoming cloudy and murky,
that cloudiness is the unwanted starch. Before tossing your soaked fries into the air fryer,
rinse them properly and pat them dry with a towel to soak up all the excess moisture.
To blanch or not to blanch, that is never the question.
Because to achieve French fry perfection, you always need to blanch your potatoes.
This is especially true if you want your comfort food to be evenly cooked and
your burger companion to have that incredibly textured layer of crunch. The reason why this
step is so crucial is that blanching softens the starch on the surface of the potatoes,
and helps to release their moisture. Both of which will lead to a crispier final result.
Blanching your potatoes is easy. Simply peel and cut your potatoes while the
water boils. Add salt to it, and place the potato sticks in the boiling water.
Let it simmer for around four minutes, remove them from the water, and make sure to pat them dry.
The magic at work here is that blanching removes all the moisture from the potatoes. And once
you give them an excellent cold water soak, the cells in the potato shrink up,
allowing them to crisp up more quickly.
It's air frying 101: You should never overcrowd your air fryer basket with food!
Since air fryers act like convection ovens, the air circulates around the food. This is
precisely why the food cooks so quickly. So, if you overcrowd your air fryer basket, the air
won't circulate properly, and this will result in an inconsistent fry texture. Because the air
doesn't have enough space to flow around the fries evenly, the fries in the middle of the basket will
only get steamed. Making them soggy rather than crisp, and some might not even be cooked at all!
"Oh, my God!"
As tempting as it might be to stuff as many fries as possible in the air fryer to speed up
the process, it's a bad idea. Ensure only enough fries are in the basket to leave ample room for
air circulation. This means you might have to cook your fries in batches or buy a bigger air fryer.
While most folks know air frying is a far healthier option, they might overlook the fact
that it still consumes oil. Sure, the amount of oil used, as opposed to pan-frying, is way less,
but greasing your air fryer basket is a must. Otherwise, the fries won't achieve
the ideal texture you're looking for. Rather, they will turn out relatively dry or soggy.
It's recommended to use oils with a higher smoke point, including grape seed, avocado,
and olive oil. Toss a tablespoon of oil with your fries with salt and some seasoning.
You will also need to grease the bottom of the air fryer basket so the fries don't stick to
it. You'll want to grease the basket by rubbing or spraying oil on the grates to ensure the food
won't stick. Next, place the fries side by side, and remember not to stack them.
Shake it 'till you make it. Well, make a beautiful pile of golden, crispy fries, that is!
Shaking the air fryer basket is crucial, especially if you're working with smaller
foods like french fries, chicken wings, or chopped vegetables. Now,
you might be worried that removing the basket will cause the heat to escape. And yes, it will. Some
air fryers pause once you remove the basket — but do not panic! Once you place the basket back in,
the air fryer should kick back on and start cooking at the same temperature again.
While it's not exactly the same as giving the basket a good jostle, you can always use a pair of
tongs to flip your fries. This ensures your fries are evenly cooked from all sides, rather than
letting them crisp up unevenly. For an effective way to shake things up in the air fryer. Take the
handle, pull out the basket and shake it. When making fries, one good shake should be enough.
You may be just making fries with any kind of potato you have on hand,
but it turns out there are certain types of potatoes that are the best of the best for
making french fries. And not just any fries: super-duper crispy, nostalgia-inducing salty
fries. To make these fries, you must use russet potatoes, particularly the Russet Burbank kind.
These potatoes are higher in starch and low in moisture content, making them the perfect
ingredient to make heaven on a plate. However, you can also use Yukon Gold and Maris Piper potatoes.
A russet potato is recognizable by its characteristic oblong shape, brown skin,
and starchy white insides that fluff up nicely when fried. The skin on a russet potato is also
harder than that of a regular potato, making it perfect for making fries with skin intact,
so your crunch will be intensified. Apart from choosing russets, you should get a
large-sized spud, since they are easy to cut and make for a large, finger-sized fry.
Russets cook up beautifully in the air fryer and more quickly than other potatoes, too.
Sprinkling salt over a steaming plate of freshly made fries seems like the right thing to do.
You've likely been doing this for as long as you've been making fries, and nothing
terrible has happened ... yet. So why is it a mistake if you're making fries in an air fryer?
Adding salt to your food after they've been deep-fried is a must,
but for oven-baked or air-fried fries, it's another story entirely. What you need to do
instead is coat the raw fries in olive oil and toss them. Then, add salt and any other
seasonings and toss them once again for good measure. Of course, you can tweak the seasoning
blend as per your taste. If you've left the skin on for your russet potatoes, you'll find that the
steam and oil will work wonders in helping the fries to absorb the salt and any other flavors.
We suggest sprinkling seasoning on fries when loading them in the air fryer and then putting
the basket in the air fryer to crisp 'em up. It's best to use fine salt or ground salt rather than
large coarse salt flakes. This will allow the salt flavor to be fully absorbed by the potato,
enhancing the taste. As the fries simmer in the heat, the oil will start to cook up the salt,
melting right into the surface.
We have all seen our mothers grab a bunch of paper towels and lay them on a tray when making fries.
The steaming-hot fries with oil dripping from the strainer spoon are gently tossed onto the
prepared tray so that the paper towel can absorb the excess oil. And more than likely, you've
probably been doing this too. And why wouldn't you? No one wants to be eating oil-laden fries,
right? But what if we were to tell you that there's another, better way to do this? Yep,
we're here to tell you that a cooling rack gets the job done — without making a mess.
You'll want to lay a tin foil sheet on the counter and place the cooling rack above it,
so the oil spill is easily cleaned up. Awesome, right? What's more is that we've found that paper
towels often stick to the fries, with the oil working like glue in this case. As the fries start
to cool down, the paper gets stuck, rendering them inedible and gross. No one wants to eat paper!
We suggest putting fried items fresh from the air fryer onto the cooling rack
so the air can hit them from all sides — even under the fries — to crisp them up
nicely and thoroughly. Paper towels, on the other hand, turn fries soggy and limp,
which are two words no one wants associated with their French fries.