The phrase “eat your vegetables” may trigger bouts of mealtime PTSD if you endured years of being forced to consume bitter, mushy greens. As adults, we have the freedom to choose which vegetables (if any) we’d like to consume and also how to prepare them.
I recently dined at Maass at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale and was blown away by a hearth-roasted maitake mushroom that was marinated, grilled over fire, and glazed in garlic and soy sauce. Had my parents served side dishes like this one, I certainly wouldn’t have stuck out my tongue in disgust before being sent to bed without dessert.
Though this preparation may seem limited to a commercial kitchen, Executive Chef Ryan Ratino insists that these killer mushrooms can be re-created in a mighty air fryer.
“For sure,” he confirms. “We don’t use an air fryer in the restaurant, but we do use high-powered combo ovens that, under the right settings, are very similar.”
Aside from fantastic fungi, there are a bevy of other veggies that make entirely too much sense in the appliance that’s taken the world’s kitchens by storm. We tapped into Ratino’s expertise for tips on achieving air fried vegetable perfection.
Look for starches
Potatoes and other dense, starchy vegetables are made for the air fryer.
Practically anything can be made in an air fryer, but some ingredients hold up better than others. “Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yucca, plantains, and also mushrooms air fry the best,” advises Ratino. This is due to their starchiness, which can not only hold up to quick, extreme temperatures, but also maintain internal moisture with a crunchy exterior.
Avoid fibrous greens
Kale, spinach and other leafy greens don’t fare as well against the air fryer’s fierce heat.
Vegetables such as broccoli and asparagus can certainly be tossed into an air fryer, but that may not be the best way to maximize their potential. “These dry out too fast before browning and give you a poor texture,” says Ratino.
Aside from the aforementioned starches, opt for brussels sprouts, green beans, zucchini, eggplant and onions, which have layers, pockets, and/or thick skins that can withstand oil, coatings, air and quick bursts of heat. One exception to the fibrous rule is cauliflower. The fibrous cousin of broccoli is more dense and contains more moisture, meaning it’s less likely to burn inside the air fryer basket.
Blanch your vegetables
Dense brussels sprouts make for perfect air fryer food.
Perhaps the most important air frying tip of all, at least when it comes to vegetables, is to blanch. “Blanching helps with retaining the moisture in the vegetable while trying to brown it,” explains Ratino. Simply boil a pot of water, add the veggies for one to five minutes (or whenever they appear bright in color), and then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Drain and dry the vegetables before storing or cooking them.
Lightly oil and coat your vegetables
A spritz of cooking oil will ensure veggies don’t singe or burn.
For added crunch and moisture retention, Ratino recommends a light spray of oil, as well as a coating of French-fried onions. But feel free to experiment with other crispy additions, such as panko, breadcrumbs, crushed crackers and even pork rinds. These add not only drool-worthy texture, but also flavor that can change anyone’s perception of what it means to be healthy.
Advantages and disadvantages of using an air fryer
Cauliflower makes another good candidate for the air fryer.
The advantages of air fryers are apparent, with time, color, and texture topping Ratino’s list of all-time favorite perks. Though traditional frying techniques may guarantee more-consistent and, frankly, delicious results, these machines cut corners so that less time is spent cooking and more time is spent eating.
That said, air fryers do tend to dry out ingredients much quicker, making it important to keep an eye on temperature and cooking times. This can require a significant amount of trial and error, though a bit of science in the kitchen can be fun for novice chefs.
Additionally, it’s important to note that air fryers can become quite difficult to clean over time due to the volume of food that’s constantly added to their small spaces.
But no matter how you swing — er — bake it, air fryers are now a kitchen countertop essential and a perfect way to knock off the recommended servings in a daily food pyramid.
For more air fryer tips, see the one spot on your air fryer that you’re forgetting to clean and how much you can save on energy using an air fryer instead of your big oven.
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