When it comes to kitchen gadgets, I could probably be best described as the curious but skeptical type.
A few years ago, at the height of its popularity, I tested recipes and wrote about the cult of the Instant Pot. To be honest, I wasn't sold on the merits, except as a sort of Swiss Army knife-like device for speeding things up.
On the other hand, I’ve always had use for the good old crockpot, which has been around so long it’s become sort of campy-cool, and is still ever so convenient for parties and potlucks.
I rediscovered that when I tested recipes from "The Chef and the Slow Cooker" (Clarkson Potter, $29.99) by James Beard Award-winning chef and cookbook author Hugh Acheson, who surprised me with some pretty sophisticated dishes.
The latest gizmo to find its way through my front door is the air fryer. Like the Instant Pot, it’s spawned Facebook groups, while capturing the imagination of home cooks with the promise of healthier fried foods.
Visiting some online sites, and looking through a batch of air fryer cookbooks didn’t exactly excite me, though. Then I found “Air Fryer Perfection” (America’s Test Kitchen, $24.99) from the team at America’s Test Kitchen.
You probably know the TV show. And if so, you might know the Test Kitchen motto: “Recipes That Work.”
Even better, in the introduction to the cookbook, the team collectively declares that they were skeptical at first, but the more they tested, the more they liked the air fryer.
I found that to be true, too, especially when I used recipes from the book, which goes to great lengths to explain “why this recipe works.”
I learned that air fryer cooking produces real food, relatively fast and easy, with less fat, and minimal mess. Maybe best of all, it’s ideal for cooking for two — though that means it’s not really suitable for large families.
To find out even more, I called up Jack Bishop, the creative director of America’s Test Kitchen, and the guy you see taste testing stuff like pasta sauce and almond butter.
True to his TV persona, Bishop was detailed and enthusiastic talking about air fryer cooking. But he cautioned that getting great results takes a bit of practice, along with the right recipes and techniques.
“Before we do a book on a new piece of equipment, the first thing we do is go out and test all the models,” Bishop said. “And I would say we were fairly skeptical about air fryers in general. So the first thing was to convince ourselves that they actually have a place in the kitchen.
“They are little convection ovens. They do a really good job with all those things you might consider oven-fried, whether it’s chicken Parmesan, or chicken parts, or all the potato things. And they do it with some advantages over oven frying, and over deep frying, too. They don’t need to preheat. They don’t heat up your kitchen. They’re really very easy to clean. So, they passed the first test as far as something that actually has value in the kitchen.”
Of course, the second test was to find out all the things you could cook with an air fryer.
“It’s really great for cooking salmon,” Bishop declared. “You put it on a foil sling. There’s no mess, there’s not really much smell, it’s kind of guaranteed to work, and it’s certainly easier than sauteing two pieces of salmon in a skillet. It’s a good example of something that before we started we never thought we’d be cooking in an air fryer, but it really worked.”
As far as what kind of air fryer you should buy, you can find recommendations from America's Test Kitchen in the book and online. But Bishop has some general recommendations.
“Among the things from the testing that apply no matter what model you’re looking for, we liked the drawer models rather than the lid models,” Bishop said. “They were less messy and seemed safer, and they take up less space on the counter. We also liked the digital models rather than the ones with dials. And you definitely want a nonstick surface on the basket.”
These recipes from “Air Fryer Perfection” (America’s Test Kitchen, $24.99) offer creative and nearly foolproof ways to cook with an air fryer. And the “why this recipe works” introductions explain the logic behind the processes in step-by-step detail.
“Crunchy, juicy, and slicked with mayo, a spicy fried-chicken sandwich is a lunchtime favorite, but we aren’t about to heat up a skillet of frying oil whenever the craving strikes. The air fryer gave us a less greasy route that was nearly as convenient as hitting up our favorite lunch spot. For our spicy chicken sandwich to live up to its name, we added heat in three stages. First, we whisked hot sauce into the egg-flour dredging mixture to ensure that the heat was directly coating the chicken rather than getting lost in the breading, as it does in many recipes. Combining more hot sauce with mayonnaise for a creamy spread upped the heat level further. An unwritten rule of fried sandwiches states that a pickled element is a must; this was our opportunity to add even more heat with fiery sweet pickled jalapeños in lieu of pickle chips. Shredded lettuce provided a crisp, fresh component that tempered the heat a bit.” — From “America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection”
“Inspired by Korean barbecue, these succulent morsels of beef offer a winning combination of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors. We built a simple but tasty marinade by blooming ginger and garlic with sesame oil in the microwave and then whisking in honey, gochujang (a Korean chili paste), and soy sauce. We used this to coat sirloin steak tips; the combination was so tender and flavorful that the meat needed no marinating period but could be cooked straightaway in the air fryer. For contrast, we made a crunchy napa cabbage and carrot slaw, tossing it in a bright but not overly sharp rice vinegar dressing. Sprinkling the beef with scallions and sesame seeds added a fresh and toasty finish.
“Sirloin steak tips, also called flap meat, are sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. To ensure uniform pieces, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips and cut them ourselves. Gochujang can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets. If you can’t find it, substitute an equal amount of Sriracha.” — From “America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection”
“A sweet, tangy glaze offers appealing contrast to rich, meaty salmon, but most recipes stumble by calling for broiling the fish, which can result in unevenly cooked salmon and a burnt glaze. So we were happy to find that the air fryer produced foolproof results; the direct heat from above caramelized the glaze’s sugars, while the circulated air cooked the fish from all sides. We liked the idea of an orange glaze, but on their own orange juice and zest didn’t pack enough punch. Adding orange marmalade was just the ticket to boost the flavor, and it helped the glaze cling to the salmon. Some whole-grain mustard gave the glaze more acidity and pops of mild heat to balance its sweetness and cut the richness of the fish. We brushed the mixture on the fillets before cooking and after 10 minutes were met with crispy glazed fish boasting beautiful browned edges and a velvety pink interior. This technique lends itself to a variety of flavors, so we also developed an Asian-inspired glaze made with hoisin and rice vinegar and a sweet-smoky honey-chipotle glaze.” — From “America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection”
If using wild salmon, cook it until it registers 120 degrees.
Parmesan, Rosemary, and Black Pepper French Fries
“Once we learned how to make crave-worthy french fries in the air fryer, we thought that giving them a Parmesan-rosemary coating would be a cinch. We tossed the hot fries with grated cheese and minced herbs, but only some adhered; the rest fell to the bottom of the bowl. Switching gears, we added the cheese partway through cooking. Now the cheese clung and even crisped into a coating, but it lost some of its Parmesan flavor. The Goldilocks moment came when we cooked some cheese onto the fries for a crust and then tossed more with the cooked fries for flavor. (Adding the rosemary both during and after cooking also best highlighted the herb’s aroma.) To gild the lily, we added black pepper and sprinkled a third handful of cheese onto the finished fry pile, which melted into a lacy coating.
“Frequently tossing the fries ensured the most even cooking and the best browning. We found that tossing the fries in a bowl, rather than in the air-fryer basket, yielded the best results and the fewest broken fries. Do not clean out the tossing bowl while you are cooking; the residual oil helps the crisping process.” — From “America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection”
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