The Best Way to Season Air Roasted Vegetables
The humble roasted vegetable is nothing less than a hero on my Thanksgiving table . It’s important to season them so they don’t taste bland, but when you season them can be the difference between juicy or toasted. Here’s my trick for quickly frying vegetables in the air fryer without burning the seasonings.
Air Roast Vegetables
The first time I had Thanksgiving, I didn’t have an air fryer. (I shudder just thinking about it.) Roasting Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, chickpeas or squash took a long time and took up most of my oven. Once I finally installed a miniature convection oven in my kitchen, my Thanksgiving cooking experience improved dramatically, and I never dreamed of hosting a big dinner without it .
High wind speeds in an air fryer can easily shave 20-30 minutes off the cooking time we’re all used to dealing with before. This is a boon for hosts juggling multiple dishes, but the strong, hot wind takes its toll on the seasoning. While dried herbs and powdered spices can be stored in a regular oven at a lower temperature, they can burn in the fryer (even if coated in oil), resulting in a bitter taste.
First we cook, then the season
To prevent this unfortunate outcome, I prepare the vegetables for the fryer quite simply – toss them with enough oil and salt to coat them. That’s it. The oil will help transfer heat more evenly to all parts of the vegetables, and the salt will draw out moisture while adding flavor. All this results in faster and more even cooking. Yes, and salt doesn’t burn.
Air fry the vegetables as needed, then add them to the dressing just before serving. Depending on what you like, it could be a simple drizzle of lemon juice, zest and extra virgin olive oil, or a tangy tahini vinaigrette.
Seasonings for roasted vegetables bloom separately.
Moisture and heat from cooking usually play a role in developing the flavor of dry spices. If you typically season your oven-roasted potatoes or charred Brussels sprouts with powdered seasonings—say, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic—you may be missing out if you refrain from adding them to the air fryer. Well, I won’t stand for it. We absolutely want to maximize the flavor, so I suggest blooming herbs and spices separately in a small saucepan on the stove while your veggies get nice and brown in the air fryer.
To do this, add about a tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan (the amount you would normally use to coat roasted vegetables). Add dry seasonings and heat over low heat for about two minutes. When done, the spices will be fragrant, so you can turn off the heat and wait until the vegetables are ready to season with the herb oil or butter. This flavor-expanding trick works great with freshly cut herbs, too, and makes for an elegant Thanksgiving gift.