You Have to Air-Fry the Capers
About two weeks ago, my deep fryer stopped working. Luckily, the Instant Pot was able to send me a new one (thanks, guarantee!), But those two weeks without my Vortex Mini made me realize how much I had come to rely on it.
Reheating takeout food, toasting bread and making lovely little “additions” are just a few of the things I had to do in my larger, less efficient “Big Oven” and I was immensely relieved when my new countertop convection oven arrived. … Not only was I able to get back to my crispy tofu plates garnished with air-fried green onions , but I was finally able to test my plan for making crispy little salty bois – so-called air-fried capers.
As with air-fried chickpeas , capers need a little oil, but not as much as you would need if you were to really roast them for real . (This is possibly the second time I’ve used my deep fat fryer in a way that “reduces fat.” I don’t really care about counting calories, but I like to save money, and using fewer ingredients is just that.)
Roasted capers ( really roasted or “fake” roasted in a turbo oven) are a crunchy, salty, savory treat. You can eat them as a snack – they are very good with martinis – or you can sprinkle them on a salad, pasta, or a nice piece of fish. I usually eat them like tiny popcorn.
To make capers in the air, you will need:
- Some salted capers
- Some kind of fat (olive oil, bacon fat, and duck fat are all stone)
Remove the capers from the brine and drain onto paper towels. Transfer them to a bowl and drizzle with oil, stirring until shiny but melted in fat. If you have a basket fryer, remove the pan (the capers will just fall through the holes) by placing the oiled capers right on the bottom of the basket. Fry in the air at 400 ℉ for 5-7 minutes, until bubbles and crispy. Let cool slightly and enjoy.