AIR FRYER ESSENTIALS: MINI PIZZAS

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 3. Chef's Note: For this recipe, I am using what are called: Street Taco Tortillas. They are smaller than a regular taco, about 5-inches (12.5cm). If you choose to use a larger taco, that is fine.
• 4. STAGE I: Crisping the tortilla. I wanted a crispy, not soggy, crust so the first thing that I did was brush both sides of the flour tortilla with grapeseed oil, and stuck it into the air fryer. I then tried different times, and temperatures. The goal was crisp but not too browned. And the winner was, 350f (175c) for 6 minutes. Results were a nice crispy crust, ready to be topped with all kinds of yummy ingredients.
• 5. Here is what it looked like after crisping.
• 6. Chef's Note: Why grapeseed oil? Well, grapeseed oil does not break down at high temperatures, like other oils, it has a high smoke point 420f (215c), it does not impart any additional (unwanted) flavors, and it is considered one of the more healthier oils.
• 7. Chef's Tip: In the previous step, I mentioned that grapeseed oil is good, and it does not impart any additional flavors... But, let us stop to consider that. There are really good oils out there with infused flavors like garlic, and Italian spices. That might not be a such a bad choice... Think about it.
• 8. STAGE TWO: The toppings This is where it gets fun. My question to you is, what do you like on your pie? For this experiment, I brushed both sides of the tortilla with a bit more grapeseed oil. Then, I went fairly traditional with a light brushing of tomato sauce, sprinkled with a few spices (oregano, basil, etc.), then some good buffalo mozzarella, and a few pepperoni's.
• 9. This is what it looked like sitting in the air fryer waiting to be cooked.
• 10. STAGE THREE: The baking. Since the crust was already crisp, I was more interested in getting the toppings all nice and gooey, with just a hint of browning on the cheese. So, I made several of these pizzas, and cooked them at various temperatures and times. And the winner was, 400 (205c), for 6 minutes. The cheese was gooey, bubbly, with the perfect hint of browning.
• 11. Here is what it looked like, after cooking... So yummy.
• 12. Chef's Tip: I have not accomplished enough testing of different air fryers to definitively state my times are absolute. So, watch the pizza as it cooks, and make your own determination as to when it is properly cooked.
• 13. PLATE/PRESENT
• 14. Cut in half, or quarters, up to you, and sprinkle on a bit of parmesan cheese, and maybe some chopped basil. Enjoy.
• 15. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.