Aroundtown Magazine November/December 2022 Edition

FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT
Christmas
ham
Glazed gammon is delicious
at Christmas and great to use
leftovers for sandwiches on
Boxing Day and beyond.
With gammon, most people
find it best to remove some of
the salt before cooking. We
wouldn’t recommend cooking
gammon directly in the air
fryer before doing this step as
the salt will be overpowering.
Boiling it for 10-15 minutes
(depending on size of the joint)
with some carrots, onions and
bay leaves will take out much of
the salt.
One recommendation is to
cook the gammon in the slow
cooker and finish off in the air
fryer. You could use apple juice
or a cheap bottle of coca cola
to simmer it in on high for 3-4
hours for a sweeter flavour.
Then make a glaze using honey,
mustard and a sprinkle of brown
sugar before finishing it in the
air fryer for 15-20 to get that
caramelised finish.
Roast
potatoes
Everyone has probably
made chips in the air fryer and
cooking roast potatoes in it isn’t
much different. The secret to
perfect air fryer roast potatoes
is to cook at two temperatures:
start low (about 160C) to get the
insides fluffy then increase to
about 200C to crisp up the skin.
We’d recommend parboiling
your potatoes first for ten
minutes to speed up the
process. Then coat them in a
spray of oil or drizzle of fat of
your choice then season.
Everyone loves a good
roastie and there are never any
left in our house but try not to
overfill the air fryer by cooking
too many roast potatoes at
once. You will end up with them
being dry and not having that
lovely crispy texture. They’ll take
about 30 minutes in total and
be sure to keep shaking them
every 10 minutes to get that
perfect crisp.
You can follow the same
idea to cook any parsnips and
sweet potato.
Vegetables
Whether its carrots, green
beans or sprouts, many veggies
work well when cooked in the
air fryer. They’ll have a flavour
similar to if you’ve roasted them
in the oven, so bear that in mind
if you prefer your veg steamed.
Preheat your air fryer to
190C. Prep your veggies by
chopping them to the size you
want. Drizzle with olive oil or a
spritz of spray oil. Add to your
air fryer in as flat of a layer as
possible and cook for 10 to 15
minutes. Carrots may need a
little longer so they’re not hard in
the middle.
Shake up your bland sprouts
by adding a bit of pancetta or
bacon to the air fryer.
Stuffing balls
Whether you make your own
stuffing or use a packet mix,
putting your stuffing balls in the air
fryer will make them crispy on the
outside and lovely and soft on the
inside in just ten minutes.
Make them ahead and pop them
in the fridge to firm up for at least
an hour before cooking. This will
ensure they keep their shape in the
air fryer.
If you’re making your own
stuffing this year, you could try
this recipe. Just combine all
ingredients well and shape into
small balls.
450g sausage meat
25g butter, cubed
½ small white onion, grated or
finely diced
½ medium bread roll (or same
amount of stale sliced bread),
chopped into small chunks
2tbsp dried sage
Salt and pepper
Extra breadcrumbs for binding
(optional)
Pigs in
blankets
No Christmas dinner is
complete without a pig in blanket
or two – or five!
Whether you buy shopbought
or make your own from
chipolatas and streaky bacon, all
they need is 15 minutes in the air
fryer at 200C and they’re good
to go.
If you’re cooking multiple
batches, make sure you drain
any excess fat after each batch
to prevent the air fryer from
smoking.
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