COME FRY WITH ME!

For fried-food lovers, the air fryer has been a game changer. This sneak peek at our terrific new cookbook shows you why this appliance is such a hit.

HOW IT WORKS

Air fryers are renowned for replicating the crisp texture of deep−frying with a fraction of the oil. This amped−up benchtop convection oven works by pushing hot air around food. The rapid circulation of air is what helps to make food crisp, but with much less oil.

For example, air−fried hot chips provide 4–6g fat compared to 17g for the deep−fried equivalent. There are many sizes of air fryers; however, in the book we’ve used a popular well−priced and mid−sized 5.3−litre model. If you have a larger appliance, you will be able to cook larger amounts of food, while for a smaller one, you will need to decrease the quantities accordingly.

SAFETY

Before starting any recipe, read the manufacturer’s instructions for your appliance first. The machine can get hot, so allow sufficient space on the benchtop around it. Once the basket is pulled out of the appliance, treat it like opening an oven door – it will be hot! Take care when adding and removing items from the air−fryer basket.

HACKS & TIPS

Avoid baking paper as a cover for food as it will catch fire. Instead, use aluminium foil, which may need to be weighed down with metal spoons. Seeds and loose seasonings should also be avoided, as these will fly around the appliance and burn. To assist with cleaning, line under the basket with baking paper or foil to catch any oil drippings. To ensure even browning, turn food halfway through cooking time. To prevent overbrowning, ensure there is sufficient distance between the top of the food and the element, or cover the food with foil.

OIL

Use it sparingly or it will burn.

Aim for 1−2 tablespoons (olive or canola oil). No additional oil is required for naturally fattier foods like sausages or meatballs. For battered, floured and crumbed recipes, spray the basket and the food lightly with oil. Some oil is required to assist with browning.

ADAPTING

To convert a deep−fried, baking or roasting recipe for the air fryer, reduce the cooking temperature by 20°C.

REHEATING

Use the air fryer to return pizza, crumbed items and pastry to their former crisp glory. Five minutes at 180°C is all that’s needed to reheat a slice of pizza!

“What I love about air fryers is that they create an even crunchier crust than when you deep-fry or shallow-fry foods, while using only a fraction of the oil.” Lucy Kelly, Food Editor, AWW FOOD

CRISP TOFU WITH PALM SUGAR DRESSING

PREP + COOK TIME 45 MINUTES SERVES 4

600g medium−firm tofu

2 bunches broccolini (700g), trimmed,

thick stems halved lengthways 170g gai lan, trimmed,

cut into 5cm lengths

3 egg whites

1 cup (180g) rice flour

2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon ground white pepper 2 teaspoons freshly ground

black pepper

2 teaspoons salt olive oil cooking spray sliced green onions, sliced red chilli, extra sesame seeds and lime cheeks, to serve

PALM SUGAR DRESSING

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

¼ cup (60ml) mirin

¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce

1 tablespoon finely grated palm sugar 1 small red chilli, chopped finely

1 Cut tofu horizontally into four slices. Cut each slice in half to make eight pieces in total. Line a board with paper towel. Place tofu slices on paper towel; lay more paper towel on top of tofu, then top with a heavy tray (or small chopping board) to weigh the tofu down. Leave for 10 minutes to drain.

2 Preheat a 5.3−litre air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes.

3 Rinse broccolini and gai lan. Taking care, pull out the air−fryer pan and basket; place damp vegetables in basket. Slide pan and basket back into appliance. Keep temperature set at 180°C; set timer for 5 minutes. Cook until vegetables are just tender. Transfer vegetables to a platter; cover to keep warm.

4 Meanwhile, make palm sugar dressing. 5 Beat egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine rice flour, sesame seeds, peppers and salt in a second shallow bowl. Dip tofu slices in egg white, then coat in rice flour mixture; spray generously with oil.

6 Place half the coated tofu in basket. Keep temperature set at 180°C; set timer for 15 minutes. Cook, turning halfway through cooking time, or until tofu is crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining coated tofu.

7 Top vegetables with crisp tofu, sliced green onion, sliced chilli and extra sesame seeds; drizzle with dressing. Serve with lime cheeks.

PALM SUGAR DRESSING

Place ingredients in a screw−top jar; shake well to combine.

GLUTEN-FREE CHICKEN NUGGETS

PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINUTES SERVES 4

2 x 300g chicken breast fillets

2 cups (80g) cornflakes

⅔ cup (105g) gluten−free plain flour 2 teaspoons ground paprika 1 teaspoon onion salt

⅓ cup (25g) finely grated parmesan 2 eggs olive oil cooking spray

⅔ cup (150g) aïoli

2 teaspoons sriracha chilli sauce lemon wedges, to serve

1 Preheat a 5.3−litre air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes.

2 Cut chicken into nugget−sized pieces. Coarsely crush cornflakes by hand in a medium bowl. Add half the flour, the paprika, onion salt and parmesan to bowl; season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3 Lightly beat eggs in a second medium bowl. Place remaining flour in a third bowl. Dust a few of the chicken pieces at a time in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg; coat in spiced cornflake mixture. Spray generously with oil. Repeat coating with remaining nuggets.

4 Taking care, pull out the air−fryer pan and basket; place half the nuggets in basket. Slide pan and basket back into appliance. Keep temperature set at 180°C; set timer for 8 minutes. Cook, turning halfway through cooking time, or until nuggets are golden and cooked through. Transfer cooked nuggets to a platter; cover to keep warm. Repeat cooking with remaining coated nuggets.

5 Place aïoli in a small bowl; swirl through sriracha. Serve chicken nuggets with sriracha aïoli and lemon wedges.