Air Fryer Fries - Part 1
Air Fryer Fries are a game changer. Let me be clear about that.
I had been seeing many recipes being turned into their air fried version on instagram and I had been longing to try get an Air Fryer for myself. I bit the bullet sometime in October 2022 and theres been no looking back.
The aim of this series is to share some "custom" recipes for marinades for French Fries that can be made at home using an Air Fryer. I have provided an affiliate link at the end of the article for the Air Fryer I personally use.
First things first:
What is an Air Fryer and why bother with such a contraption?
Air fryers are appliances that use hot air circulation to cook food. They work by circulating hot air around the food, which creates a crispy outer layer while cooking the food thoroughly. Air fryers are designed to mimic the taste and texture of deep-fried food without the added oil and fat.
What are potential dietary benefits from using an Air Fryer?
Lets take our case of French Fries. French fries made in the traditional manner (deep fried using a lot of seed oil) may contain upwward of 340 calories per 100 grams.
On the other hand, since air fryers use little to no oil, the corresponding reuction in the calorie count is astonishing and significant. French fries made in an air fryer typically have around 150-200 calories per 100 grams a reduction of more than 50%. And believe me, people who are trying to cut back on junk could seriously benefit from this. The difference in taste while noticable is not something that will put you off from using the Air Fryer more. In fact, one could use a little oil as part of the marinade and see very litte difference in the new version.
However, do note that the calorie count can vary depending on the type of potato, the size of the fries, and especially seasonings or toppings added to the fries. So those looking to cut calories would be advised to not add cheesy sauces etc. as that sort of ruins the purpose (think of that joke where the man eats for 2 people and then orders a diet coke since hes on a diet).
So my aim here is to provide a recipe that is lighter in terms of calories from the condiments used for marination. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe and the subsequent ones I'll share.
Since this is the first article of this series, Ill try to explain my thinking when it comes to creating marinades /recipes on your own.
In this case it was simple enough, I wanted to eat fries but also was in the mood for something garlicy but southern based. But i still didnt want to stray too far away from a more traditonal fast food tast.
So I combined the two.
Here are my ingredients to marinate around 2 potatoes worth of potato wedges.
- 2 Spoons of Olive oil (This is completely optional if you want to be strict)
- 1-2 Table spoons of Gurellu Dry Chutney (Brand: Big Mishra but any Dry Garic Chutney should work)
3. Oregano - This is more to do with giving the marinade a more pleasant smell (again optional or you could go with it alone in case you dont have garlic chutney)
4. 1-2 small spoons of parmesan cheese (Optional but recommended)
5. 2 spoons of rava - This was my attempt at giving an extra layer of crispiness though in this case it didnt really value (I think corn starch might help but again would just add to the calories)
The final result (All ingredients were rubbed into the potatoes and left to marinate in the fridge for a few hours - though I think 30 minutes should suffice)
Now the Actual Fryer Work:
Put the above marinated fries in 1-2 batches (this helps in case you dont have too much space in the air fryer) and fry for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180 F (82.2°C). You may need to fry again for 5-10 minutes to get a nice crispy texture.
I dint have any pics of the final product since they were attacked by hungry people almost immediately. Suffice to say, the tast was a solid 8/10 and texture 6.5/10 (I think the rava didnt really help and pre heating the air fryer would have helped make it more crispy)
I use the INALSA Air Fryer Digital 4.2L capacity and this has nobs for both timer and temperature control. Other air fryers may be electronic but that adds to the cost.
You can find the link for the same below in case youd want to check it out. I hope you guys enjoyed this piece and I look forward to sharing more of my experiments with Food.
