Deep fryer: what can you cook? Air Fryer Recipes

What can you cook in a deep fryer? Pros and cons of a deep fryer What can you cook in a deep fryer: simple recipes French fries Curd donuts (Lithuanian cuisine)

A deep fryer is a specialized device with a very narrow scope of application. The device is used for cooking food in oil or fat. At the same time, the calorie content of the dish can increase several times. For example, boiled potatoes have a calorie content of only 86 kcal per 100 grams of product, and when boiled in oil, the nutritional value increases to 312 kcal. Therefore, it is better not to overuse food from the deep fryer, but sometimes you can treat yourself to delicious donuts, pasties, and potatoes.

Cooking in the deep fryer

Before you start studying this topic in detail, you should first understand what deep frying is and what dishes can be prepared using this method.

Different dictionaries give their own definition of the concept of “deep frying,” but we will focus on the cookbook. It states that deep frying is hot fat or oil in which culinary products or foods are fried. It is absolutely logical that the next question arises about where deep-fried foods can be processed. In a deep frying pan? Yes. In a heatproof saucepan? Yes. But the best device for deep frying in boiling oil is a special invention - a deep fryer. What can you cook in it? You know, literally everything! Starting from fish, meat and ending with vegetables and fruits. Using an air fryer for cooking adds unique flavor and texture to foods. The stereotype that kitchen know-how prepares unhealthy and fatty dishes is becoming a thing of the past. Today it is quite easy to create a complete meal that is low in calories and fat. But more on that later.

The process of cooking in an air fryer is not complicated, but it does require some attention and concentration. Otherwise, you can easily overcook your food. Buying an air fryer will add many new dishes to your diet. And even if you are strictly concerned about your health, you can easily prepare healthy and tasty treats according to your favorite recipes. A little practice and patience - and you will easily answer the question of what can be cooked in a deep fryer.

Deep fryers: do we cook with or without oil?

Having understood a little about the issue of frying, we move on to the next points. We have to find out how safe modern deep fryers are, or how to cook deep-fried dishes without injuring yourself and others? Let's start in order. Today, the market for household appliances is replete with all sorts of new products, and recent advances in technology make it possible to highlight a number of advantages of modern frying devices. Firstly, all elements of combines are now made of stainless steel, which makes them more reliable and durable. Secondly, there are double fryers. Due to the presence of two compartments in them, they allow you to cook several dishes at once, and the smells do not mix. These deep fryers are suitable for all types of frying. And cooking deep-fried dishes becomes a real pleasure.

But still, the best gift for a hostess would be an air fryer. This is one of the latest new products. And its peculiarity is that it allows you to cook your favorite dishes with virtually no oil. This becomes possible due to the circulation of hot air, which envelops the food from all sides, baking it evenly until fully cooked.

Onion flowers

If you're pretty tired of French fries and onion rings, then prepare an unusual snack that looks like flower petals. An onion appetizer is being prepared. She looks very original!

The dish is perfect for beer or any other gatherings with friends. It is very easy to prepare and comes out on a budget. The most difficult thing when preparing a dish is cutting it correctly. After all, the aesthetics of the finished dish depends on how you cut the onion.

Ingredients:

• Onions – 6 heads, taking into account the preparation of a dish for 6 people;
• Chicken eggs – 3 pieces;
• Flour – 3 tablespoons;
• Salt, pepper and spices to taste;
• Oil for frying – 2 cups.

Onion flowers: step-by-step cooking recipe

Cooking method:

1. Peel the onion and cut into small sectors, not cutting 5 mm to the edge;
2. Beat eggs together with spices;
3. Dip the onion first into the egg and then into the flour;
4. Place the onion in a deep fryer with hot oil. The oil should completely cover the onion head.

If you don’t have a deep fryer, but you really want to cook the dish, then you can take a regular frying pan with a thick bottom. It is important that no water gets into the oil during frying. Otherwise it will splatter a lot.

Six easy steps to deep fry safely

Now let's touch on the issue of safety in the kitchen while cooking deep-fried dishes. First of all, you need to be careful. Drops of hot oil sometimes behave unpredictably and can get on the skin.

As mentioned above, frying is the process of cooking food by completely immersing it in hot oil. The process is not safe, so many people avoid it out of caution. But there are several simple recommendations, following which, you will not doubt whether deep-frying is worth it. A deep fryer is an excellent helper. We’ll tell you what you can cook in it later, but for now we’ll describe some rules.

So…

1. The deep fryer must be in good condition and not wet. Important! As strange as it may sound, place a fire extinguisher next to your work desk in case of emergency.

2. It is correct to choose high-quality oil for deep-frying. Peanut or canola are best. They have a high melting point, so they will prevent your food from burning and the room from filling with smoke.

3. Make sure to pour the oil into a cold, completely dry container and fill it exactly halfway, to a maximum of 2/3. Remember that when you lower food into deep fryer, the oil level will rise further.

4. Food should be lowered into deep frying carefully, in small batches, to prevent splashing. In addition, overfilling the pan causes the oil temperature to drop, causing the food to become too oily.

5. You need to remove the cooked food with a slotted spoon or special tongs, and then immediately place it on a paper towel, which will absorb excess fat.

6. And finally, after frying, the oil should be allowed to cool, then carefully pour it into a container with a tight-fitting lid and discard (in exceptional cases, this fat can be used up to three times).

deep fried meat

Nutritionist Elena Tikhomirova has already talked about which foods are mistakenly considered healthy for children. However, there is another category of products - those that are unfairly banned. You may not need to give them to your child every day, but you shouldn’t completely exclude them from the diet either.

Mayonnaise

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Store-bought mayonnaise is not good for anyone, but if you season the salad with one teaspoon of homemade mayonnaise, nothing bad will happen. Essentially, mayonnaise is egg yolk, vegetable oil and mustard powder (with variations depending on the recipe). In small quantities, this sauce can significantly improve the taste of boiled vegetables, which children are usually not enthusiastic about. This does not mean that you need to fill all dishes with homemade mayonnaise, but there is no need to completely exclude it from the child’s menu. Remember that homemade mayonnaise has an extremely short shelf life (no more than 2-3 days in the refrigerator). Since it contains raw yolks, it is not recommended to give this product to children under three years of age. Use only the freshest eggs, with their shells intact, otherwise the risk of salmonella infection increases significantly.

Ketchup

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Tomatoes can be doused with boiling water and pureed using a blender, then add a little salt, lemon juice and spices - homemade ketchup is ready! This sauce is very healthy, because tomatoes and their products are rich in lycopene. This substance is useful in the prevention of heart disease, loss of vision, inflammatory processes and even cancer. As with mayonnaise, you don’t even need to top your food with homemade ketchup, but adding a few spoons to improve the taste of children’s dishes won’t hurt.

Butter (and other cholesterol-rich foods)

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What is harmful for an adult to eat is not always harmful for a child’s body. A growing child's body simply needs foods containing cholesterol (egg yolks, butter, fatty fish). This substance is involved in the production of hormones, with its participation the synthesis of vitamin D, the development of bone tissue and other very important processes occur. Animal fats should not be excluded from a child’s diet. It is better to reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates. Remember the Eskimos, who eat a lot of seal oil, or the Indian tribes, whose diet is full of cholesterol. None of them suffer from obesity. However, this does not mean that these products are useful for the baby’s parents.

Salt

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Salt (sodium chloride) is involved in the regulation of many processes in the human body, for example, in normalizing blood pressure. If it makes sense for older hypertensive patients to avoid too salty foods, then a child on a salt-free diet will become apathetic and lethargic. Of course, you shouldn’t feed your baby chips or salted nuts, but you can and even need to salt his soup or porridge. Ideally, use only sea salt for cooking. It contains iodine, the lack of which can lead to mental retardation.

Fast food

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There is a difference between fast food and fast food: if you give your child a sandwich made of whole grain bread with natural boiled meat and vegetables, carrot sticks, sliced ​​Adyghe cheese, apples to school with you, then such food can also be called “fast”, but it can hardly be called harmful.

Even crispy nuggets can be not only tasty, but healthy: with MAGGI® On Second for crispy nuggets, breaded pieces of chicken fillet do not have to be deep-fried - you just need to put them in the oven without adding a drop of oil! To further balance the dish, you can serve vegetable sticks with the prepared nuggets.

The conclusion from all of the above can be drawn as follows: cook it yourself, dose the quantity, then even food that seems harmful at first glance will turn out to be healthy. If a child refuses to eat homemade mayonnaise or ketchup and demands store-bought instead, this means that you have already fed him sauces from the counter, and most likely you yourself regularly use them. Stop doing this, and the child will gradually wean off the habit.

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Which oil should you choose?

It is important to know not only what can be cooked in a deep fryer, but also what oil is best to do it with. When choosing it, you should pay attention not so much to the taste, but to the usefulness. There are different varieties of this product, we will look at the main ones that are found in our stores:

1. Olive. Let's say right away that it is not suitable. It is the worst oil for deep frying because it has a relatively low breakdown temperature (191˚C). Despite its exquisite taste, it is only suitable for dressing salads, and, among hot types of cooking, for stewing. 2. Peanut butter. It's neutral in flavor, affordable, and makes great deep-fried dishes. The fries will be crispy and the turkey will be memorable. This type of fat is often used in Chinese restaurants, specifically for deep frying purposes. The high heat of the fire eliminates all of the peanut proteins, making it safe for those with peanut allergies. And when combined with balsamic vinegar, it gives off a pleasant aroma.

3. Sesame oil. It has a nutty taste; refined is better suited for deep-frying. It should not be used often, as it contains a high content of polyunsaturated fats (41%), which turn into carcinogens. In addition, it is expensive enough to fry in such quantities.

4. Sunflower or vegetable. It’s familiar to everyone; we fry with it most often. This oil has a neutral taste, can withstand high temperatures, but contains harmful fats for our body. It should not be abused.

5. Ghee. It has a unique aroma and can turn a dish into a culinary extravaganza, but do not forget that it promotes the formation of cholesterol and increases LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels. That is, you are guaranteed to have problems with the cardiovascular system.

6. Good options for cooking in a deep fryer include almond oil. It is considered one of the most beneficial for health. Does not contain trans fats, cholesterol. It has a high smoke point of 216 °C and is a source of phytosterols, as well as vitamins E and K. Its mild, nutty aroma enhances the taste of deep-fried foods.

Potatoes (roses)

It would seem like an everyday product, unremarkable, but! How much it can be transformed if you deep-fry it.

We will need:

- Potatoes (not young). - Skewers or toothpicks. — Oil for frying. Preparation

We cut future rose petals as thinly as possible. We make them almost transparent. It is more convenient to shred potatoes using a special grater (1 mm). We also cut several pieces into cubes - this is for the central buds, around which the petals will curl. Next, soak all the ingredients, including toothpicks, for 2-3 hours in cold water so that they are more pliable. Then we begin to fold the buds, adhering to the rule: one petal clockwise, the next counterclockwise. We constantly unfold the petals, as if a rose had blossomed. We secure each twisted component with a toothpick. Then we place the “semi-finished roses” on a paper napkin, give time to absorb excess moisture and fry. We lower each rose with the bud down and make sure that it is baked evenly on all sides, to do this we turn it over periodically. We take out the finished product on a napkin and let the excess fat drain off. Sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.

Deep fried chicken

Deep fryer dishes, recipes for which can be found in cookbooks and magazines, most often talk about options for cooking chicken. Among them, the most famous are: fried chicken wings in sweet and sour sauce, deep-fried breast, Buffalo chicken legs, nuggets. You can also roast a whole chicken using this method.

Chicken Kiev is often deep-fried. This recipe is unique in that it is made with the addition of green oil (ingredients: butter, dill and parsley, hot red pepper). Sometimes after frying in a deep fryer, the cutlets are simmered in the oven for some time. But here everyone decides for themselves whether it is worth doing this, since chicken meat risks being overdried.

The basic poultry recipes are listed above, but if they are deep-fried, they can turn into non-standard, and most importantly, delicious dishes for the everyday or holiday menu.

Apples in batter

To make this recipe you will need four apples. Remove the core and divide the fruit into circles. Their thickness should be approximately 1 cm. The resulting pieces should be soaked in a mixture prepared from half a glass of cognac and a spoon of sugar. This will take a quarter of an hour or a little more. After this, the apples are dipped in beer batter and sent to the deep fryer. You need to fry them for 5 minutes or a little more at 170 degrees. After the oil has drained, the apples should be dipped in sugar glaze and you can treat them to your loved ones.

Seafood and deep frying

You can cook many foods in the deep fryer, and seafood is no exception. It works especially well with different types of fish or shrimp. Let's turn to one of the most delicious recipes - Buffalo shrimp with tartar sauce.

Ingredients:

- Flour - 1 tbsp. - Light beer - 1 tbsp. — French mustard – 2 tsp. - Pickled cucumbers - 1 tbsp. l. - Shallots - 1 tbsp. l. — Parsley – 1 tbsp. l. - Mayonnaise - 2/3 tbsp. - Cayenne pepper or Buffalo sauce - 3 tbsp. l. — King prawns – 700 g. — Peanut or vegetable oil for deep-frying.

First we prepare the sauce. For it, mix: mayonnaise, part of the hot Buffalo sauce, mustard, cucumbers, shallots and parsley. We put it in the refrigerator to brew.

Next, prepare the batter: pour flour into a large bowl, pour in beer, the remaining hot sauce, bring until smooth and add shrimp, then mix everything thoroughly again.

While the seafood is soaking in the batter, heat the oil in the deep fryer. Then use a slotted spoon to lower a few things into it. Fry until golden brown for two to three minutes. Transfer the finished dish to a paper towel and leave for a while. Serve warm with prepared tartar sauce.

How to deep fry bacon?

The deep fryer can create many dishes. What else can you cook? You probably wouldn't think it, but it's really good for frying bacon. This product is already a fat, which is often used to prepare various dishes. But, nevertheless, bacon is also deep-fried. It turns out very appetizing and unusual in this version. This is done as follows: heat the oil to room temperature and begin to add pieces of lard strictly one at a time, as it will fry instantly and intensively. We also take them out separately and immediately place them on a paper napkin to remove all unnecessary fat. This method works well if you need to fry a large amount of bacon and, most importantly, do it quickly.

Time and temperature control

When frying in large amounts of fat, it is important that the temperature is maintained at a certain level. When frying batches of food continuously, after removing one batch, the temperature of the fat should be restored before adding the next. If this is not done, the products will be pale and colorless in appearance and may remain damp.

Timing is important: if thicker cuts are being fried, the temperature must be lowered to ensure sufficient cooking time, otherwise the food will be over-brown and undercooked.
And vice versa: the smaller the pieces, the higher the temperature and the shorter the cooking time. Oil temperature

GENERAL RULES

— Never overfill frypots with oil, fat, or food being cooked.

— When using fryers that do not have a thermometer, do not allow smoke to rise from the fat: this will give an unpleasant taste and smell to the prepared food.

- The usual frying temperature is between 175-180 °C, with a slight haze rising from the fat.

— Maintain the proportions of fat and product. If too much food is cooked in too little fat, even if the initial temperature of the fat is optimal, too much product will significantly reduce the temperature and ruin the dish by drying out the food before it forms a crust.

— Reduce the serving time of the finished dish to a minimum - fried foods quickly lose their crispy properties.

- Oil and fat should be strained after use, otherwise the remaining food particles will burn and spoil the appearance and taste of the food when the fat is reheated.

— Cover oil or fat when not in use to prevent oxidation.

Dough products

An amazing thing - the know-how of our time - the deep fryer! What else can you cook in it, if not dough products? Who said that pies, donuts, brushwood and other delicacies can only be fried in the oven or in the proverbial frying pan? Who? Unknown. But this man was deeply mistaken! It is the dough products in the deep fryer that turn out especially tasty and surprisingly crispy.

One of the best dishes is maple syrup donuts. We are in a hurry to share this recipe with you. To prepare we will need:

- Flour - 2 ½ tbsp. - Milk - 3 cups. - Yeast - 2 tbsp. l. - Warm water - ¼ tbsp. — Eggs – 3 pcs. - Sugar - 1 tbsp. - Cinnamon - 3 tbsp. l. — Vanillin – 2 tsp. Dissolve the yeast in water with sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Sift flour, cinnamon, knead smooth dough. It should be a little sticky. Next, let him “rest” for forty-five minutes.

To form donuts, use special tools or make them yourself. Fry the delicacy until slightly brown on both sides. Once cooked, place the donuts on a paper towel. Serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Whatever deep fryer recipes you choose, remember that you need to follow a few basic rules: remember to be safe, use only fresh ingredients, and preferably not use deep frying oil more than once.

Yeast-free fluffy donuts

Donuts are considered the favorite food of many children. They turn out airy and tender. You can simply sprinkle the top of the donuts with powdered sugar, grated chocolate, and multi-colored glaze.

There is no yeast in this recipe. Despite this, they turn out fluffy and airy. You can cut out donuts using a special shape or roll out the dough into a sausage, which is rolled into a ring. If you need to bake donuts faster, you can simply form the dough into balls.

Ingredients: