Recipes

[AndyinPA]

I'm sold on them. I'm waiting for my third to arrive, a Ninja Flip, which does more than just air fry. I'll keep my original basket style, but will give away my other one.

[Danraft]

I use the hell out of the combo airport (pressure cooker and air fryer).

I haven’t read up, but it may work the way I drew on a cocktail napkin years ago when I started using induction burners for omelet stations on buffets.

They’re pretty impressive and have fine control and super efficiency (all of the heat goes into the pot by heating the metal of the pot (has to be somewhat magnetic).

So, convection ovens are faster because the heat is circulating and therefore the temperature at the surface of the item being cooked is transferred better (which would be the same as somewhat higher temperature density).

212 degree boiling water cooks much faster than 212 degree air. That would be somewhat made up for by circulating air— the faster the air moves the better the heat transfer. At some theoretical point the heat transfer of circulating air in a convection oven would be equal to the heat transfer from 212 degree water.

Ok. Fine. But, that is convection heat. What about radiant heat?
In an air pot, the actual pot itself heats up. I’m assuming they’re using an induction burner? So, the heat would not just be from the bottom, that then heats the air or liquid, but the sides, too.

If a small convection oven circulated air at very high speeds AND had radiant heat hitting the item being cooked at the same time— not only would the surface heat be at least that of water at 212 degrees, but it could be higher.

At those heat levels, heat types (radiant and convection), and very high convective air speeds the mini-convection oven would transfer heat similar to 350 degree cooking oil.

And, it does. Batters and breading both act as if they were in 350 degree cooking by the way that they expand, brown, etc.

So, yes. An air fryer is really a convection oven. But, it is approximating the use of a deep fryer by the above methods. I don’t fault them for calling them “air fryers.”
If it walks like a goose….. or cooks like a fryer…

Besides, it is healthier, faster, easier, less messy, doesn’t make the entire place smell like fryer grease, etc…

[neonzx]

I use the hell out of the combo airport (pressure cooker and air fryer).
---
So, yes. An air fryer is really a convection oven. But, it is approximating the use of a deep fryer by the above methods. I don’t fault them for calling them “air fryers.”
If it walks like a goose….. or cooks like a fryer…

Besides, it is healthier, faster, easier, less messy, doesn’t make the entire place smell like fryer grease, etc…

And all really good points. I do not, and have never owned, an actual fryer. They are messy and dangerous.

But, to my friends across the pond -- can proper fish and chips be fabricated in a *cough* air fryer? I think not.

[Danraft]

I make crispy French fries in the air fryer all the time.
-Thin cut russets usually tossed with decent evoo, fresh herbs, salt, black pepper.
-“fry” once 400 until the burn-food alarm goes off ( I think this measures humidity)
-let cool a few minutes, stir and “fry” until crispy

I do it with sweet potatoes, too.

Breaded items work great, battered are a little trickier.
I use Drakes batter mix and it works well. Dry the item well. Dry mix on, then into the batter. Spray with oil (not required).
Makes nice crispy pieces.
(For those, it is best to pre-heat the air fryer as you want the batter to “set” in place before it drips off the item)

[Maybenaut]

Because of my alpha gal I’ve had to cut many things out of my diet. I don’t miss most of it. But every now and then…

Today I was like, man some Cheez-Its would be really good right now. Since they’re made with real cheese they’re off the list. So I wondered if there were any vegan Cheez-It recipes out there, and there are a bunch on line.

I tried one using shredded vegan cheese. But unlike real cheese which would get wholly incorporated into the dough, the vegan cheese would only break down so far. So the dough felt like dough with little beads in it. I rolled it out and cut and baked it and it tasted OK, but the crackers were hit-and-miss on crispness.

I’m going to try this again, but next time I’m going to use vegan cheese sauce. It didn’t occur to me to try this even though I have some in the pantry.

https://daiyafoods.com/our-foods/sauce/cheddar-sauce/

[humblescribe]

I learned decades ago in eighth grade science class that the best way to fry an egg was to spray some water onto the lid of the frying pan.

When the stove top heats up the pan, the warm water vapor will cook the top of the egg more quickly and evenly than just relying upon the heat from the burner.

And, always, always, slow and low is the best way to fry or scramble an egg.

We had a lot of practical knowledge in eighth grade science. We also ate pretty well.

[neonzx]

I learned decades ago in eighth grade science class that the best way to fry an egg was to spray some water onto the lid of the frying pan.

When the stove top heats up the pan, the warm water vapor will cook the top of the egg more quickly and evenly than just relying upon the heat from the burner.

And, always, always, slow and low is the best way to fry or scramble an egg.

We had a lot of practical knowledge in eighth grade science. We also ate pretty well.

The Incredible Edible Egg.

One of the great wonders of the universe. I don't know if I have done a perfect egg in my decades of amateur kitchen exploration. Some great eggs, but perfect?

If you have a recipe for me to try, please share. Scrambled I've seen best results with 1TPS of water per egg. Oh, and bring the eggs to room temp before cooking. Seasoning added later, not pre-cooking.

[Danraft]

Well, frying an egg and finishing by covering with moisture is a basted egg.

In any case, a little kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper is essential to me and, after 5 years with a South Korean woman who liked over-medium eggs with the bottom being a little brown, I have developed a preference for that.

Old school chefs believe scrambled eggs should be highly stirred low-temp-cooked and finely-grained as a result. Yuck… haha… and yes, water or milk would traditionally be added.

[humblescribe]

Alas, no recipe, Neon.

Just some butter (even with a no stick pan) as the frying medium with the aforementioned spray of water onto the lid of the pan. If you are particularly decadent and carefree about your blood cholesterol, use some bacon drippings instead of butter.

For scrambled, we use milk instead of water, but we don't measure; just eyeball the quantity. And a whisk. We use a whisk, not a fork. Yeah, some of the egg sticks inside the whisk, but that is easily removed when done. I think a whisk adds a little more air into the finished product. YMMV.

Wouldn't call them perfect, but they are mighty tasty. You are correct about adding the seasoning when complete.

"The incredible edible egg." You must be OLD!

[neonzx]

Alas, no recipe, Neon.

Just some butter (even with a no stick pan) as the frying medium
---
"The incredible edible egg." You must be OLD!

I forgot the pat of butter (real butter, not the stuff that comes in a plastic tub).

Also, too. I am not a spring chicken with remembering commercials. But there are people at Thefogbow who outrank me on the age scale.

[Maybenaut]

The best eggs are the most work.

Perfect poached eggs:

Spray the sides of a saucepan with cooking spray (this isn’t entirely necessary for the cooking, but makes cleanup easier).

Fill the saucepan with water, bring to a boil.

Add a splash of white vinegar (the vinegar causes the whites to solidify quickly). I don’t usually measure it - a couple of tablespoon will do.

Break two eggs into a bowl, then slowly lower the eggs into the boiling water. The coolness of the eggs will reduce the temperature of the water; watch the temperature of the water, and adjust the heat so the water is at a fast simmer (a rolling boil might break the yolk).

Cook the eggs until they float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, gently lift the eggs from the water. Let the excess water drain off and very gently pat dry with a paper towel.

You can cut the stringy bits off with a knife or kitchen scissors. Serve over toast or an English Muffin.

Enjoy!

[neonzx]

The best eggs are the most work.

Perfect poached eggs:
---

You can cut the stringy bits off with a knife or kitchen scissors. ---
Enjoy!

Thanks for the advice, but "stringy bits" on my eggs does not sound that great. If I have to clean up the eggs with a knife after cooking, I did something terribly wrong.

Nor poaching/watery approach. Personal preference.

Need another recipe.

[Maybenaut]

The best eggs are the most work.

Perfect poached eggs:
---

You can cut the stringy bits off with a knife or kitchen scissors. ---
Enjoy!

Thanks for the advice, but "stringy bits" on my eggs does not sound that great. Nor poaching/watery. Personal preference.

That’s too bad. These are the best eggs ever! I got the recipe from the 1975 ed. of Joy of Cooking, which my brother the chef gave me in 1983. Next time I make them I’ll post pictures so you can see what I mean by stringy bits (it’s really not that bad).

[Danraft]

In many of the commercial kitchens I worked in poached eggs were mass produced for various reasons. For brunch buffets the common item was Eggs Benedict (poached eggs on a base of English muffin, Canadian Bacon and topped with Hollandaise Sauce) but other classics like eggs Sardou (a New Orleans thing) etc were common also.

but those items could also be done a la carte. The method didn’t vary much. The night before, it would be common to poach a case of eggs (15 dozen or 180 eggs).

You placed a 6 inch deep hotel pan across two burners and brought it to a simmer (plus a bit to overcome the cold eggs hitting the water). The water was salted (some disagreement here, but I found salted water was good) and acidified (so vinagar of some sort added — just until you could taste the sourness and usually a cheap non-colored vinegar like white vinegar or apple cider vinegar).

Crack the egg flatly across the front of stove so to make a wide break, and drop it in the water in one motion (no drizzling…. And fast because you had a lot to poach). Start at one end of the 6 inch deep pan and proceed to the other side.

Then, you had a skimmer to pluck the eggs out and drop into an ice water bath. You wanted a solid skin on the egg and a good amount of the egg white cooked. The yolk was still totally raw.

Next day, you did the reverse. From the eggs in water bath into boiling water to heat and then skimmed up and placed on the base and sauced.

On a more creative aspect, i would do a “Fried Egg Salad” … Take the poached egg, dry it, and bread it—flour, egg wash( I like to add Dijon mustard to the egg wash for this), seasoned breading… and deep fry it to order (crispy on the outside, and still a runny yolk). That would be a garnish or center piece with say a spinach salad with pancetta rounds or bacon bits, or whatever. It was a popular lunch salad.

[sugar magnolia]

Now you have me craving eggs Sardou. If I leave now, I can be at Antoine's by 7:30.

[tek]

Another tip: if your eggs are not super fresh (i.e. probably any egg you got at the supermarket), strain the eggs.
This gets rid of the thin part of the white, so less stringyness

[bill_g]

Scrambled eggs (no milk, no water) are poured in a fast pan, pulled and piled in the center quickly with a fork, served soft, and eaten immediately. No dilly dallying. You better have everything else ready before you even crack the eggs.

[neonzx]

Still on the eggs.. scrambled.

Q: I have heard both thoughts on mixing before putting into the pan.
1) lightly mixing with a fork-but do not overdo it and
2) whisk harder (to air rate I guess) to make the eggs fluffier?.

I've done both, but prefer #1, light mixing because the end result I can still see color differences of the yolk and white.

But suppose that is just cooking and there is no single RIGHT-WAY or WRONG-WAY. My kitchen will never have a Michelin star rating.

[bill_g]

I prefer an incomplete fork mix that leaves some of the whites separated out for moisture and flavor, and so you know the eggs are real - not dehydrated and reconstituted.

[Kriselda Gray]

Best eggs I've had are my husband's. He mixes the eggs with just a splash of water, 1 to 1½ teaspoons sour cream and 1 to 1½ teaspoons of finely shredded cheddar cheese , plus a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cooked through but still soft. They are *amazing*!

[neonzx]

Best eggs I've had are my husband's. He mixes the eggs with just a splash of water, 1 to 1½ teaspoons sour cream and 1 to 1½ teaspoons of finely shredded cheddar cheese , plus a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cooked through but still soft. They are *amazing*!

Does that all go in the skillet together? Sour Cream too? or is that a topping at the end?

[Kriselda Gray]

Best eggs I've had are my husband's. He mixes the eggs with just a splash of water, 1 to 1½ teaspoons sour cream and 1 to 1½ teaspoons of finely shredded cheddar cheese , plus a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until cooked through but still soft. They are *amazing*!

Does that all go in the skillet together? Sour Cream too? or is that a topping at the end?

All in the skillet together, including the sour cream. It gives it a really nice tang without making the eggs cold.

[MN-Skeptic]

For me, I'll fry two eggs in a small skillet. After I flip them, I put a slice of Swiss cheese, torn into pieces, on top of the eggs. I add a bit of water on the edge, then place a lid on top so that the steam melts the Swiss cheese. For me, that's perfect and requires little fuss.

[neonzx]

All good advice on eggs.

Now let's talk a perfect omelette. I am not talking the single-fold cheat version where the contents leak/spill out. The double fold with the skillet tilt and flipping things around.

I'm pretty sure I've only mastered a perfect(ish) presentation worthy omelette in my lifetime perhaps 3 times. Artistry which I was not born with. Vast majority taste good but could not serve to a paying customer because they are a mess.

[sugar magnolia]

Splash of water for hard scrambled. Splash of milk for soft scrambled.