Food - News
Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Fries In An Air Fryer
By JAMILA KHAN
Not Preheating The Fryer
Some air fryers and recipes might not call for a preheat, but preheating your air fryer can transform you from a rookie with a recipe to a professional home chef. Preheating your device will prepare your fries much quicker, and they will have that restaurant-quality crisp and crunch factor.
Not Soaking The Potatoes
To avoid soggy fries that are devoid of flavor, soak the cut up potatoes in cold water for about an hour, which will help release starch and give your fries that crispy layer. Before tossing these fries into the fryer, rinse them properly and pat them dry with a towel to soak up all the moisture.
Using Cooking Spray
Cooking oils are safe, but cooking sprays tend to make the non-stick coating on the air fryer basket chip away. When lecithin — an emulsifying surfactant found in aerosol sprays — comes into contact with Teflon, the result is a stubborn, sticky buildup that damages the surface of the basket.
Not Blanching The Potatoes
As a chef noted on Quora, "Blanching potatoes gelatinizes the starch on the exterior of the potatoes and draws out moisture." For crispiness, blanch your potato sticks by placing them in salted boiling water, simmering them for around 4 minutes, and lastly, soaking them in cold water.
Not Using Saltwater
Soaking the potatoes in cold salt water makes the starch and moisture of the potatoes move into the salt water, ensuring crispiness. Salt water also removes a cancer causing chemical (acrylamide) which is activated when starch comes into contact with a higher temperature.