Culbert Denny - Air fry every day: 75 recipes to fry, roast, and bake using your air fryer

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The road to completing this book is littered with a million beeps and blinking console lights. Learning the Zen art of air frying was a completely fun and frivolous experience that I never thought I would have. I always thought I was anti-gadget-cooking, but I use my tea kettle, blender, waffle iron, toaster, spice grinder, and mini food processor weekly, if not daily. We cook with these types of gadgets all the time, so when a new one comes on the market, I take the excited, hopeful approach instead of going instantly skeptical. Im glad I kept my mind open for the air fryer. I had absolutely no expectations going into this book project other than to learn how to utilize the air fryer to make the best food it canand I think I accomplished that.

All thanks to my editor at Clarkson Potter, Jennifer Sit, for approaching me with this project in the first place, believing in my abilities, and remaining patient, kind, and flexible with all my missed deadlines and last-minute changes. Also, to the Clarkson Potter team, art director Stephanie Huntwork, designer Ian Dingman, publisher Aaron Wehner, production team Joyce Wong and Heather Williamson, Stephanie Davis in marketing, and Eryn Voigt in publicity: Thank you all for your amazing work on making the book look the best it can.

Im forever indebted to my Lafayette League: Photographer Denny Culbert for your insane camera skills in turning my food into luscious food porn of the highest degree. Jo Vidrine, thank you for not just masterfully assisting Denny, but making gallons of coffee every day to keep us on our toes, and for being THE source for all the best local food in Lafayette. Thank you to the food stylist extraordinaire and sandwich whisperer Tami Hardeman-Boutte for your exceptionally hard work all week, finding that perfect balance in cooked egg yolks, striking gold with that cake drizzle shot, and getting as excited about this food as I am. And to Kim Phillips for knowing just the right props, plates, and utensils to bring the food alive on-screen. Jeremy Conner, I cant thank you enough for your patience and good-natured outlook all week in prepping the food and making more mysteriously unrisable bread doughs and thick powdered sugar glazes than one person ever should. (Sidenote: Jeremy makes his own flaky sea salt from the Gulf of Mexico [!!!], sold under the name Cellar Salt Co., and its freaking delicious; and he generously let us sprinkle it over all the air-fried food during the photo shoot. Im eternally grateful to artisans like Jeremy and the products they make, and I think you all should buy his salt.)

Thank you to my recipe testers, Susan Phuong My Vu and Lukas Volger, for your precise notes and valuable insights into making these recipes truly shine.

And last but not least, thanks to my partner, J., for being my taste tester during the whirlwind weeks of recipe development, and for allowing me to keep the air fryers precariously placed throughout the kitchen for you to trip over each morning while making your coffee.<3

BAKED EGGS WITH KALE-ALMOND PESTO AND OLIVES

Baked eggs are a luxury because they take more time and effort than a quick scramble or fried egg. But here, theyre just as quick to throw together and bake up with enough time to get the orange juice and coffee on the table and maybe even sit through a morning news segment. Feel free to use any store-bought or homemade pesto you have on hand for these eggs, but if you have the time, make this kale pesto to add an extra dose of greens to your morning.

SERVES 2

1 cup roughly chopped kale leaves, stems and center ribs removed

cup olive oil

cup grated pecorino cheese

3 tablespoons whole almonds

1 garlic clove, peeled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped pitted mixed olives

Toast, for serving

1. In a small blender, puree the kale, olive oil, pecorino, almonds, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth.

2. Crack the eggs into a 7-inch round cake pan insert, metal cake pan, or foil pan, then spoon the kale pesto over the egg whites only, leaving the yolks exposed. Drizzle the cream over the yolks and swirl into the pesto.

3. Cook at 300F until the eggs are just set and browned on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the olives over the eggs and serve hot with toast.

Switch It Up:

If you dont want to make the kale pesto for these eggs, simply substitute cup of your favorite homemade or store-bought pesto in its place and cook as stated in the recipe.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RICOTTA FRITTATA

Squash and sage is a classic autumnal combination, and I eat them together in virtually every meal as soon as the weather starts to turn chilly. This is one of my favorite uses for it: a tender frittata dotted with large dollops of ricotta cheese and dusted with cayenne. In the air fryer, the process is even more efficient since youre able to roast the squash until tender and then pour in the eggs and cook the frittata, all in just over 30 minutes.

SERVES 2 OR 3

1 cup cubed (-inch) butternut squash(5 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

cup ricotta cheese

Cayenne pepper

1. In a bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper until evenly coated. Sprinkle the sage on the bottom of a 7-inch round cake pan insert, metal cake pan, or foil pan and place the squash on top. Place the pan in the air fryer and cook at 400F for 10 minutes. Stir to incorporate the sage, then cook until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized at the edges, about 3 minutes more.

2. Pour the eggs over the squash, dollop the ricotta all over, and sprinkle with cayenne. Cook at 300F until the eggs are set and the frittata is golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the air fryer and cut the frittata into wedges to serve.

Switch It Up:

Not a butternut squash fan? Feel free to use another cubed squash or sweet potatoes in its place. And if you happen to already have leftover cooked pieces of squash or sweet potato in your fridge, you can use them here. Scatter them over the sage as directed but only cook for 4 minutes to warm through before continuing with the recipe as written.

CHIMICHANGA BREAKFAST BURRITO

Breakfast burritos are a staple of my weekend morning routine, and theres not much that can improve upon them. Except this chimichanga. Because theres no oil to make the tortilla greasy, it air fries up super crispy, like a burrito wrapped in a giant tortilla chip. You can customize the filling to your taste, so feel free to add cooked sausage, bacon, or ham to make these meat-friendly, or leftover roasted vegetables for a healthier option. And if youre really feeling up to it, make several burritos, wrap them in plastic, and freeze for up to 1 week so you can have a crispy, hot breakfast chimichanga whenever the craving hits. (To reheat the chimichanga from frozen, cook at 350F for 15 minutesno need to thaw.)