An air fryer Christmas

Waitrose shares tips and recipes to make the most out of your air fryer this festive season

Following their rise in popularity this year, Waitrose predicts that air fryers will be taking centre stage in kitchens this Christmas.  An energy efficient alternative to the conventional oven, subbing in the air fryer as your Christmas sous chef will allow you to spend more time with loved ones and may even take away some of the stress associated with cooking on the big day. 

Zoe Simons, Senior Development Chef at Waitrose says, ‘If you’re looking to save money, time, washing up and stress this festive season, don’t forget to turn to your air fryer. Depending on how many people you are catering for, it can either do all the work for you or be a much needed helping hand while you save the oven for your turkey or other centrepiece that needs the extra space to cook.’

Zoe Simons’ Christmas air fryer tips and recipes

Turkey

• If your air fryer is large enough to fit your turkey, prepare it just like you would for a conventional oven. Although it’s popular at Christmas, I would advise against brining the turkey as it can become over-salted in the air fryer.  If you have a smaller appliance, you will need to separate the joints of the turkey into wings, crown and legs and roast each separately to achieve a perfectly cooked turkey
• For frozen turkeys, ensure they are fully thawed and the neck and giblets have been removed
• Add butter, herbs and seasoning under the skin for a juicy and flavourful bird
• Cook light meat separately to dark. After cooking each section of the bird, set the meat aside to rest until all of the pieces are fully cooked
• For timings, the rule of thumb is that it takes 8-10 minutes per pound / 453g. Please follow the instructions on your specific appliance for the correct temperature as this can vary. If you have a meat thermometer, you want to have an internal temperature of around 165 degrees. 
• I would advise cooking the turkey first before moving on to do your vegetables and roasties to allow the bird time to rest before carving. You can keep it warm by wrapping it in some foil.

Vegetables 

• Chop and prepare the vegetables as usual and add them to the air fryer. Follow your appliance instructions for the correct temperature and time. They should take around 25-30 minutes.

Roast potatoes recipe

These classic roasties are as soft and crunchy as they would be cooked in an oven but use less fat, thanks to the air fryer. Adding a little vinegar when you parboil the potatoes helps them stay together, allowing you to cook them to the point of collapse for extra-crisp edges. 

Ingredients

750g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper)

1 tsp flaky salt, plus extra to serve

1 tsp cider vinegar

1½ tbsp plain flour

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

3 rosemary sprigs

5 tbsp goose fat

Method

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180ºC. Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks (halve small ones and quarter larger potatoes). Put in a saucepan and rinse in a few changes of cold water to remove excess starch. Cover with cold water and add the salt and vinegar. Put on a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat, bubbling for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender but still holding together.
2. Drain and allow to steam-dry for at least 5 minutes. Return to the dry pan and sprinkle over the flour. Holding the lid on firmly, give the pan a few firm shakes to break up the edges of the spuds and distribute the flour. Warm the goose fat in a small pan until just melted then pour over potatoes; give the pan a further shake to coat. Put the potatoes in the air-fryer basket, spreading in a snug single layer on top of the rack. Bash the garlic cloves and add to the basket with the rosemary.

Crispy Parmesan and truffle sprouts recipe

1. Soak your sprouts for 10 minutes in water, drain and coat in some melted butter then add to your air fryer
2. Cook until crispy, following your appliance guidelines. To finish, grate Parmesan and sprinkle over some Cooks’ Ingredients Truffle salt