For Families: Spatchcock Chicken
Ideal for busy school nights, this recipe cooks itself while you’re wrangling the kids.
SERVES 4
1 whole chicken (choose a size that fits in your air-fryer)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kitchen shears
1. The way most chickens are presented is breastbone up. Turn the chicken over and, using kitchen shears, cut either side of the backbone in order to remove it completely. Turn the chicken over and press down on to a cutting board to flatten.
2. Brush on the melted butter and sprinkle over the seasoning.
3. Preheat the air-fryer 180ºC. Place the chicken in the preheated air-fryer and cook for 30 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further 10–15 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the thickest part has reached 74ºC on a food thermometer; if not, cook for a few more minutes. Serve.
For Singles: Baked Ricotta
Cook once, eat twice. Enjoy this bowl of indulgence with toasted bread and a big, leafy salad on the side.
SERVES 2
250g ricotta
1 egg
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of dried oregano
A pinch of dried basil
50g grated hard cheese, such as Grana Padano
Toasted bread, to serve
1. In a medium bowl, mash the ricotta with a wooden spoon.
2. Beat an egg and add it to the ricotta. Add the black pepper and herbs.
3. Set aside 2 teaspoons of the hard cheese and add the remainder to the bowl. Mix together well.
4. Pour the mixture into a small heatproof dish that fits in your air-fryer and top with the reserved cheese.
5. Preheat the air-fryer to 180ºC. Place the dish in the preheated air-fryer and cook for 7 minutes. Serve with toasted bread.
For Couples: Air Fryer Vegetarian Nachos
No-fuss nachos? Yes please! Quick and simple, they’ll be ready to serve by the time you’ve lined up your Netflix choice.
SERVES 2
½ x 400g can efried beans
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
100g tortilla chips
½ x 200g can corn kernels, drained
1 x 200g jar of salsa
80g grated mature/sharp Cheddar
Guacamole, to serve
Sour cream, to serve
1 In a small bowl combine the refried beans with the garlic powder, onion powder and ground cumin, mixing them together well.
2. Lay out the tortilla chips in a heatproof dish that fits in your air-fryer, then spoon over the bean mixture. Scatter the sweetcorn/corn kernels on top. Dollop on the salsa and cover in grated cheese.
3. Preheat the air-fryer to 180ºC. Add the dish to the preheated air-fryer and cook for 4–6 minutes. The cheese should be just browning. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
For Friends: Tarte Tatin
Impress your guests with the fancy French name and they’ll never guess you just needed to use up the apples that were about to go vrot in your fruit bowl.
SERVES 6
80g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
80g, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ x sheet of puff pastry (you’ll need 160g)
3 apples, peeled, sliced and frozen
METHOD
1. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan over a medium heat until bubbling at the edges and thickened slightly. This is now caramel! Add the frozen apples and cook in the caramel until softened slightly – about five minutes.
2. Pour the apples and caramel into a greased heatproof dish that fits in your air-fryer and then top with the puff pastry.
3. Tuck the pastry down into the sides of the dish.
4. Preheat the air-fryer to 180ºC. Place the dish in the preheated air-fryer and cook for 12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a little. To serve, turn upside down by putting a plate over the top and turning swiftly. Serve warm or cold, cut into slices.
Recipes extracted from Budget Air-Fryer by Jenny Tschiesche (Penguin Random House)
At a time when South Africans are looking to cut costs wherever possible, the air fryer offers an efficient, cost-effective solution to cooking every day, due to the strength of the air current inside. The recipes in this book cater for a wide range of tastes and needs, exploring ideas for using tins, jars and dishes, cooking from frozen, using up leftovers, using cheaper cuts of meat, grains and pulses, preparing vegetable-based dishes and more.