(mis)Adventures in Cooking

[Isaac Sauvage]

Funny, I just fixed a small, seized-up standup fan today by taking it apart, laying it on its back, dabbing mineral oil in the chamber, then manually rotating it. Repeat 3x, wiping up the excess, and now the rotors turn silkily, and the fan runs just fine.

I probably could have done that with a lot of other fans through the years, assuming it wasn't a failure in the coil, of course. Anyway, who knows-- maybe if you're lucky, that's what the issue is with your backup air fryer.

Thanks for the links, and I'll let you know how things go. I'd love to see how some spiralized veggies come out, in particular..

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Oh wow, just tried some spiraled potatoes with the air fryer, and they were wonderfully crispy for the most part. Next time I'll have to divide them better so they don't form a single mass, plus shake them halfway through. That should get them more universally crispy.

400°F and 10min did the trick.

Next, if I can find a small plant mister around here, that should work well for misting oil on next time. (brushing doesn't work well with the spiral fries)

Only thing I'm slightly weirded out by is that the crisper tray and basket divider have these rubbery-plastic nubs on them that I imagine will get brittle over time exposed to hot temperatures, and possibly leach chemicals in to the food. So I've removed them for the time being.

Other veggies I bought yesterday were yellow squash, mushrooms, onions, broccoli and cauliflower, plus some low-cal burrito wraps. I'll have to figure out how I want to do this...

 

[StevOz]

Air fried chicken kebabs and chips on the menu tonight.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

My goodness, it's been loads of fun playing around with the air-fryer the past few weeks. Now, just for the record, I have a "GoWISE" 3.7qt model, the one I got for $60US at the local grocery store. Note: oddly, these suckers were only available for a grand total of two days here. I.e., if I hadn't happened to stroll by at the right time...!

Anyway, some working notes:

- The air-fryer is REALLY good at roasting veggies. Particularly veggies which I've chronically struggled to cook properly, such as asparagus and brussels sprouts.

- The AF has kinda made me realise how much I hate baking / roasting things in the oven. There's multiple reasons for that, starting with the fact that running the oven heats up the entire kitchen, but also it's sort of like cooking in a vault, in which you have to crack the lid with protective gear, bend down, gingerly pull the rack, check on the food, heat wave blasting in the face... it's all rather awkward IMO.

- By comparison, the AF sits right up on the counter, and checking on the cooking basket is infinitely easier and quicker than doing the whole 'oven thing.'

- Due to health concerns I have to closely watch my salt intake. Interestingly, the local store recently put out a big display of Kingsford BBQ accessories & spices, and I've fallen head-over-heels for the "Original No Salt" version. It's dehydrated garlic, onion, parsley, lemon and pepper. I sprinkle it (and curry powder) over most things; tastes great!

- Tonight I learned a new lesson-- that the AF is good at what it does, but it's not GOD. Meaning, it works best when the food is cut down to a certain size (see pic), but for example I can't just cut a butternut squash in half and expect that to cook as smoothly. In fact, that took a long time, and felt like I was basically cutting down on the health of my AF unit. No good.

- Last thing-- I'm downright *amazed* how consistently moist the food turns out in this sucker. I mean, the basic convection-cooking method as I understand it is to cycle hot air around the food, suggesting to my mind that it will quickly dry out. And yes, you can get stuff downright crispy if that's what you're aiming for, but otherwise, AF-made food tastes really fresh!

 

[StevOz]

Early shake, 7 minutes in 15 to go...

 

[StevOz]

mmm…kebabs and chips...

 

[StevOz]

I might just try this, after thinking can you air fry an egg?

To my surprise apparently you can! It may actually be a cleaner, faster and with superior results.

Fried Eggs in Air Fryer Recipe (Time and Temp)

Learn how to make fried eggs in air fryer! Make your air fryer eggs sunny side up, and enjoy a protein-packed start to your morning! #airfryer #keto #lowcarb #glutenfree #protein #vegetarian

summeryule.com

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Man... I hope people are sure to read the whole recipe, and not just crack an egg right over the circular grill(!)

Hmm, I wonder how soft-boiled and hard-boiled eggs would work? I'm liking the simplicity of that.

So for the first time, I pre-soaked spiralized russet potatoes in cold water, so as to get some starch out, theoretically helping them get crisper. I then cooked them in short bursts, tossing them and re-misted with oil and seasoning during the intervals. Six minutes, then five, then four, then three. Result below.

All in all they were pretty good, but not quite amazing. Maybe I could try another soaking, and/or buying myself a mandolin slicer instead of doing it this way. Maybe also try another breed of potato. Ah well, as the world turns...

 

[StevOz]

Air fried eggs on toast, it works, 5 minutes at 195C here no preheat was good for a still running yolk, maybe a minute more next time for a firmer yolk.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Eh, there was some stale popcorn (i.e. THIS; it's incredibly light & tasty) that I'd left out the night before. Predictably, not worth eating. Then I remembered that Jor-El (i.e. Steve) had touched me with some new, special powers. Yeah, let's DO this, baby! :D

So... figured I'd try a little experiment, toss it in the AF at 300°F / 149°C for ~5min, then check it out. Result was handy! (just needing a couple minutes more)

Spritzed it with a bit of veggie oil, sprinkled lightly with Kernal Seasons, and once again, Robert's your dang ol' avuncular figure. :D

Thanks Jor-El! Thanks, eternally-surprising air-fryer thingamajing!
(a mess of recent cooking pics, incoming)

 

[xenonph]

Do you remember those popcorn makers that just blew hot air on it to pop the kernals, and there was a detachable butter tray where you could also melt your butter at same time as popcorn being popped?
Popcorn always tasted better air popped!!

 

[StevOz]

Mmm...kernal seasoning, not an Australian thing it would seem.

Though I have found the recipe.

Ta-da!

Garlic Parmesan French Fry Seasoning

Garlic Parmesan French Fry Seasoning is so good, you will want to use it on EVERYTHING! This is the best fry seasoning recipe ever. #SundaySupper

sundaysuppermovement.com

@xenonph

Not really a popcorn fan, though I have no doubt the air fryer would pop corn very well.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Do you remember those popcorn makers that just blew hot air on it to pop the kernals, and there was a detachable butter tray where you could also melt your butter at same time as popcorn being popped?
Popcorn always tasted better air popped!!

Cheers to that, and I still have my air popper.
In fact, after some trial and error, I discovered that a really effective way of getting the popcorn even crispier than the air popper does it is to bake it in the oven for a short while. (i.e., before popping)

You can even *completely* bake it in the oven (sitting between two cookie pans) and it will pop up quite nicely that way as well! No oil or special devices required. That's another thing I discovered in my kitchen, and last time I checked (admittedly a few years ago), so far nobody else on the planet had made that same discovery. Weird.

Could this potentially become the second reason my name is internet-famous? D:

Ta-da!

Garlic Parmesan French Fry Seasoning

Garlic Parmesan French Fry Seasoning is so good, you will want to use it on EVERYTHING! This is the best fry seasoning recipe ever. #SundaySupper

sundaysuppermovement.com

TBH, that looks even better than Kernal Seasons.

Not really a popcorn fan, though I have no doubt the air fryer would pop corn very well.

Yes, if you wrap it inside tinfoil, sorta like classic Jiffy Pop.

If you do it "loose," not only are you going to be picking out little bits of popcorn everywhere inside the unit (and I found that out firsthand), you're also at risk of dinging up (and damaging) the fan that runs above the heating element.

That fan is naturally not going to be designed to withstand getting dinged by violently-exploding little pellets travelling at high speed, unless there's a protective mesh sitting below, which my unit for one certainly doesn't have.

So please be safe out there, boys... wear protection!

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Anyway, some pics from the other day.

PIC ONE: me taking more inspiration from Steve-O. So-- bought myself two kebob-skewers of chicken & veggies from the local store, AF'd it up, then threw it in a pita-bread wrap (which I sadly overtoasted). Topped it with tabouleh salad (very simple, it's just parsley, chopped wheat, and bits of tomato & onion), eggplant hummus, and greek olives. *yum*

PIC TWO: my chicken-kebabs had been used up from the day before, so I kinda-just tried to make a counterpart with loose veggies. Roast tomato, onion, asparagus, and corn in a cheesy, parmegian-greek yogurt sauce, heavily sprinkled with the BBQ-seasoning mentioned earlier. Didn't overtoast the pita this time. *not too bad*

PIC THREE: tried making a little frozen pizza in the AF, but it didn't work out too good. Top got perfectly toasty, but (and this was pretty obvious in retrospect) the crust was way undercooked (see pic, where I bent it up). Also note: this was a special frozen pizza, with a lovely, pastry crust. In other words, if the AF can't cook pastry-crust pizza, I suspect it's pretty-much doomed upon all other pizza.

And yet, and YET...?
WHAT IF: I bought one of those extra-broad sardine/tuna cans, gave the contents to some local cats & plants, removed the top & bottom sides, than placed that under the AF griller such as to lift it right up (but not too much), thereby heating certain food (like pizza) a bit more evenly...?

 

[GeorgeH]

If forced to eat something cooked by Steve or Nic, I think I would choose Steve's.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

If forced to eat something cooked by Steve or Nic, I think I would choose Steve's.

Well, George... until that "future day" happens, when the slavers have utterly no choice but to find it *absolutely hilarious* to watch you eat terrible AF-d cooking right in front of your most beloved friends & family?

Maybe I win that battle, yeah? For example--- me, over here? I'm nonstop experimenting on my end, and that's how that works. Just like Steve-O taught me

 

[StevOz]

Went the full air fried eggs, bacon and cheese toasted sandwiches with tomato sauce...cooked at 190C for 6 minutes, firmer yolks and bacon was good for me, not a fan of crispy bacon.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Looks great!
Even reminded a little of the video below, which was oddly fascinating to watch:

So, yesterday I tried some breaded mushrooms in the AF as an experiment. I spritzed with oil, sprinkled corn meal & no-salt seasoning on quartered white mushrooms, shook, and repeated a few times. Cooked about eight minutes, turning once.

Not bad at all, but next time maybe I'll do it proper with egg yolk batter and some kind of flour.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Oh boy, I got it right this time.

So, while making another omelet tonight, I figure I'd have the eggs do double duty, and first use them as batter (instead of just oil spray, like last time). But this time, instead of only two coats, I did about 4-5x, even coating them again during the cooking process. This provided much better coverage than last time. Also tried an experiment of potato flour instead of corn meal, and it worked surprisingly well.

Total AF time was about 11min at 370F, which could probably be bumped up another 3-4min to make them more roasted and crispier.

The mushrooms tasted very good, and would be killer with some dip. Best thing is that these taste pretty much restaurant-grade, while being vastly healthier than the typical deep fried versions.

Another big success today was in AF'ing some mini sweet peppers that normally are kind of disappointing eaten fresh, in stews, or even sauteed. They just don't taste as good as the larger ones do for some reason. But the AF swooped in like a true hero in this case, roasting the peppers to perfection.

For whatever reason, some veggies thrive in the air fryer, while others are disappointing, or sometimes even ruined, which I learned when I tried to AF some okra the other day. (maybe breaded next time?) So far my short list of veggies that love the AF are: asparagus, brussels sprouts, peppers and whole tomatoes. Others that need a little extra prep are potatoes and these here mushrooms.

 

[StevOz]

A friend of mine works as a butcher and gave me a bag of marinated spare lamb ribs, so you know what comes next...

That's right, air fried ribs and chips!

Tip #1, use the chips to layer the bottom of the fryer, then stack those sticky ribs on top, this way the ribs won't stick, and the chips will get the benefit of cooking in the melted lamb fat and marinade...mmm...lamb fat...

Cooked at 200C for 24 minutes, flipping the ribs 3 times, I'm going to go with 190C next time. They ended up a bit char grilled on the outside, though perfect on the inside...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Hmm, I didn't realise meat takes that long, but I guess part of it is that you're also heating the bone. Really cool idea to use the chips as a buffer, too.

Me, I get a little concerned turning on the unit for more than about ~10min, because it kinda feels like I'm straining things a bit. For example, the fan's getting a long workout, and the plastic parts are getting a bit blasted with heat, which usually makes most polymers more brittle over time. The cord also gets pretty hot, which is not something I like to see with any appliance. But probably my fault there for using a standard extension cord instead of a heavy-duty one. Also, I just worry in general.

Btw, in terms of pizza, I did think about making a spacer to sit under the grill-bottom to help bake the crust, but decided against it in the end, because it would also be raising the whole thing up closer to the heating element, which kinda defeats the whole point. Instead, I wound up cooking another pizza sunny side up for while, letting it cool down, flipping it, and cooking it enough to finish off the crust. Weird, I know, but it worked out fine in the end. Cheese sticking to the grill while upside-down wasn't much of a problem, and in fact I suspect that extra toppings wouldn't be a problem either, as they'd generally 'weld themselves' on to the top half, first time around. Just make sure you let it cool after the first pass.

This pastry crust pizza below is surprisingly yummy, fits almost perfectly in the AF (just need to trim the corners slightly), and only costs about US$2 or less. Amazing stuff:

totinos party pizza - Google Search

 

[StevOz]

Never noticed any heat issues, though then again never checked, I'll have a feel around next time I fire it up.

On another note, when it comes to cleaning and this might scare you. I just fill the lower third with hot water and turn it on high for a few minutes, this steam boil melts most of the oils and fats, rinse, wipe, and you're done.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Never noticed any heat issues, though then again never checked, I'll have a feel around next time I fire it up.

On another note, when it comes to cleaning and this might scare you. I just fill the lower third with hot water and turn it on high for a few minutes, this steam boil melts most of the oils and fats, rinse, wipe, and you're done.

Seriously Steve, I owe you HUGE thanks for turning me on to this sucker. It really is magic in so many ways, as Olivia once said.

So easy to clean, like you do your way, or my way, taking it apart slightly and scrubbing, washing quickly, laying the parts out to dry. Really could not be easier. (like 30 seconds work or something?)

(just ask me about my juice machine, which is a TOTAL PITA to clean, by comparison)

Also, despite my whiny whinging above, I suspect the specific grade of plastic involved was in fact directly designed to absorb such blasts of heat without losing significant structural integrity, even after years of use. Otherwise your older unit would be showing such strain, yeah? Instead, it was just a fan issue in the end, right?

It really is MAGIC, BABY!

 

[StevOz]

I'll be chewing the fat tonight, how apt?

Stage one complete, sticky ribs and chips ready to air fry...

 

[StevOz]

15 minutes @ 190C...time for a flip and shake...