Have you ever been trying to create the crispiest, most perfect coating only to find that it just didn’t go right? We’ve all been there – the potato wedges aren’t quite crispy, and it is far worse when your crispy coated chicken is just coated chicken but without the crispy.
Thanks to some of the air fryers on the market now, most of us can make anything crispy-crunchy. The biggest air fryer around is ideal for bigger families and can give you the bite you are looking for in your meals.
There are, however, plenty of other tips that you can use to create that crunchy coating you are looking for.
Veggies
If you have seen adverts on the TV or the TV chefs, pull out piping hot, steaming vegetables from the oven – and try to recreate the recipe only to find your veggies limp and a little lackluster – there here is a tip for you.
Cornstarch is almost always added to vegetables that are going to be baked in the oven. This allows them to retain their sweet and delicious freshness and be extra crispy too.
You can add extra flavor to the cornstarch too with a little seasoning.
Potatoes
If your potato rostis and homemade hashbrowns keep coming out a little bit flimsy and falling apart, then it’s time to know the truth.
Think of it this way, when wet or slightly damp potatoes go in a pan or an oven dish into the oven, the first thing they will produce is going to be steam. That means that they are too wet.
Once you have parboiled your potatoes, leave them somewhere dry and raised. A cake cooling rack will usually do the trick. The steam disperses, and the water disappears before you carry on the process.
For shredded potatoes, place them all in a cheesecloth or a papertowel, and squeeze all the liquid out.
You’ll only ever get crunchy and crispy potatoes from now on!
Oil
Even when you think your oil is very, very hot – it might not really be hot enough yet. You might be tempted to drop the coated food in the oil asap to start the process – but halt! The coating on the food will soak up all of the oil and then start to cook. It will seal in the oil and will become either undercooked and slightly burned, or the coating will start to fall off.
Double down
Sometimes one fry is not enough. To get the best crunch on fries, you will need to fry them twice! When you head to a restaurant, the fries that you have there are so crispy because they have been double-fried and drained—leaving a soft fluffy middle and a crisp and delicious outside.
Fresh oil
Old oil is filled with particles of other food, and that contaminates the flavor and the ability of the oil. Instead of using the same oil over and over, try to use fresh oil every time you need to dry something.
Make sure that you also choose the right oil for the task at hand. Some food and coating fry better in sunflower oil, while others do better in peanut or olive oil.
Fried food can be a tricky subject for those who are trying to eat healthier; here is how to keep a balance: How To Maintain A Healthy Relationship With Food While Dieting.
