Words of Science and Fork
It's all the rage! The hot air fryer (also known as an air fryer) has conquered kitchens and hearts everywhere. It’s a small, versatile appliance that offers the enormous advantage of giving food a great deal of crispness. Many people are on the air fryer bandwagon because it helps them to reduce the amount of oil used for cooking.
But less oil means you can use better oil! Here's how to select the best oils for delicious results!
Less oil
The hot air fryer works a bit like a fan. You can cook crispy food because hot air is propelled through the unit at high speed. And because the cooking chamber is small, it allows you to reach high temperatures, just like the deep fryer does. The oil and food come together to create a yummy crunch!
Never without oil
There is a significant advantage to adding 5 ml to 30 ml of oil when cooking with an air fryer. This is the amount generally recommended by most manufacturers. Of all fats, oils are exceptionally effective in an air fryer. They allow you to fry food quickly and evenly because they store and transmit heat better than other types of fat. What’s more: the “frying” is faster!
Pour or coat
When preparing vegetables or foods that contain little or no fat, it is best to remove all traces of moisture before coating them with oil. For best results, the entire surface of the food should be covered with a thin layer of oil.
But don’t coat these food items in the air fryer. Do it in a bowl first. Once the food is mixed and coated with oil, it can be transferred to the basket. On the contrary, if you want to cook a fish fillet, pizza or chicken cutlet, the oil should be poured into the bottom of the basket.
The taste of the oil
You have so many options when it comes to choosing an oil for your air fryer. There are some differences you need to consider, however. Each type of oil has its own specific characteristics.
Some oils are known as neutral. This means that they will not change the taste of food. They are the BFFs of spicy or strong-flavoured recipes. And they tolerate high heat well. For example, deodorized avocado oil, organic virgin sesame oil and grapeseed oil are good choices.
Other oils are fragrant and have a stronger taste. Chosen wisely, they will enhance the milder flavor of certain foods or foods that need a little extra. Delicate extra virgin olive oil and organic cooking sunflower oil are definitely our favorites!
Maison Orphée's Tips
We absolutely love, love, love air fryers! That's why we've selected our top 5 absolutely delicious oils you can use with air fryers. These quality oils are versatile, heat-tolerant, tested and, most importantly, team-approved!
- Organic sunflower oil for cooking
- Deodorized Avocado Oil
- The Extra Virgin Olive Oil Delicate or the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Balanced
- Organic Unrefined Sesame Oil (not the toasted sesame oil!)
- Grapeseed Oil