Copyright [2021] [Amber C. Gardner]
All rights reserved
All rights for this book here presented belong exclusively to the author.
Usage or reproduction of the text is forbidden and requires a clear consent of the author in case of expectations.
ISBN- 9798592220654
Table of Contents
Introduction
If youve been given an air fryer as a gift and youre not sure what to do with it, or youre considering purchasing one, this book is your one-stop guide to everything air fryer-related!
Packed with information and hints and tips on how to use your air fryer, its also crammed to the hilt with delicious recipes to try.
This book will show you just how versatile your air fryer is, showing you how to cook a variety of different meals with a wide range of ingredients. From different meats to vegetables, appetisers to desserts, your new household gadget can do all of it, in the healthiest and cleanest of ways.
First things first however, what exactly is an air fryer, and what does it do?
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is an appliance which cooks your food, to give it the simplest explanation. It is far more advanced than that however, as it cooks food using hot air, rather than oil. You will all be very familiar with the regular deep fat fryer, which uses an abundance of hot oil to heat up and cook your food, leaving you with crispy, albeit extremely unhealthy meals and snacks as a result.
Now, an air fryer still gives you the fried crisp you want, but it does it by using air rather than oil, and therefore avoiding that saturated fat, artery clogging effect that a deep fat fryer has. The air is circulated around the machine by a convection technique, which is extremely complicated, but does the job very well! A fan inside the fryer pushes the air deep into the machine, so none of your ingredients are missed, giving you delicious, crispy food in a fraction of time.
The end result is home cooked meals which are cost effective as a result, healthy, lacking in dripping oil, and also super easy to use too. An air fryer is completely suitable for a first timer or a total cooking beginner. Most of the time you simply place your ingredients into the fryer and allow the machine to do its thing!
From our second chapter onwards we will be exploring the various different meals and snacks you can make using an air fryer, and that will show just how versatile and varied this machine can be. Before that however, we need to delve a little further into the wonderful world of the air fryer, to complete your basic knowledge.
Air Fryer 101
Youll probably be ready and raring to go, eager to start making delicious meals in your new air fryer, or maybe youre ready to head out and buy one right now! Whatever your starting point, we need to learn a little more about this useful piece of kitchen kit, before we get ready to set sail on a journey into delicious and easy to make recipes.
An air fryer works, as we have mentioned earlier, by pushing hot air around the inner pot, therefore cooking your food to a crisp. The ingredients are placed into a basket, much like a deep fat fryer, and then lowered into the main cooking chamber, with the lid closed. The heating mechanism then creates the extreme heat, which is pushed around the pot by a fan. This fast movement of air crisps your food, without using oil to do the job for you.
Benefits of Using an Air Fryer
You might wonder why you should bother purchasing an air fryer when you can simply use your old deep fat fryer instead. The bottom line comes down to health, and there is nothing more important than that!
The benefits of choosing to use an air fryer are:
Cook your food quickly and easily
Easy for beginners to use
Far healthier than deep fat frying
Gives you crispy food, without the unhealthy element of oil
Ideal if you have children who love the crispy fried foods that are terrible for your health, because you can recreate the same effect with far less calories and fat using an air fryer
Most air fryer parts are suitable to be cleaned in the dishwasher, although do check the instructions of your particular model
Easy to clean, thanks to no added oils or fats
Frozen food is cooked to a crisp quickly and easily, or you can cook from scratch
Your kitchen wont become overheated when using an air fryer, like it would with a deep fat fryer
It is a cost-effective investment which will allow you to make a huge number of different meals and snacks with ease
Things to Consider When Purchasing an Air Fryer
By this point youve probably decided that an air fryer is for you, but there are a few things you need to bear in mind when making your purchase, if you havent already.
There are a few things you cannot make in an air fryer, such as anything which has a liquid-style batter. This will simply not cook properly and will make a mess of your machine! You can however freeze your batters first and then add them to the machine, which would do the same thing in effect. You should also realise that if youre cooking for a large group of people, youre probably going to need to do a few batches of food, as most air fryers do not have a large capacity.
Slight disadvantages to one side, what do you really need to look for/consider when making your purchase?
Price - Air fryers can be expensive if you go for the top of the range choices. Shop around and find a product which suits your price needs. Larger capacity and more features usually points to a higher price tag, so this is something to think about before making a decision.
How much space do you have? - Most air fryers are quite large, even if the inner capacity isnt that much. This is because of the fan and the heating mechanism inside, so make sure that you have enough space on your kitchen work surface, or in a cupboard.
Features - If youve never used an air fryer before, its probably not going to be the case that you need an all singing, all dancing machine. Check out the various features on different models and go with an option you feel comfortable with.
Brand name and guarantee - If you want peace of mind, opt for a big brand name, which will usually come with a sizeable guarantee. This is a vital piece of the puzzle if youre making a medium to large cost investment.
Air Fryer Maintenance
Looking after your air fryer properly will mean that it lasts much longer as a result. So, what do you need to know about maintaining your air fryer properly? Its basically about cleaning it well and cleaning it often. The bad news? Its best to clean it after every use, but the good news is that its not difficult to clean, and most air fryers have certain parts which you can simply take out and place in the dishwasher; again, do be sure to check with your particular instruction manual to be sure yours falls into that category.
Avoid using anything abrasive on the inside of your fryer as the coating can easily be scratched away, so avoid anything metal, steel wool or sponges with a rough edge. Its also best to never completely submerge your air fryer in water. Remember, the main part of your fryer is electric!
Follow these instructions to effectively clean your air fryer: