The air fryer has become a staple in many kitchens, and it’s easier than ever to use them for quick, no-fuss meals. The devices are low-energy, often faster, alternatives to using a conventional oven.
Northern Irish chef Nathan Anthony, who rose to fame sharing air fryer and slow cooker recipes on his social media platform with four million followers, Bored Of Lunch, has released a new book, Healthy Air Fryer: 30 Minute Meals.
Here are three of his new recipes.
Crispy fried chicken
Ingredients
(serves 6)
1.2kg chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin-on
200ml buttermilk or 4 beaten eggs
120g plain flour
120g cornflour
2tbsp paprika
1tsp chilli powder
1tbsp dried oregano
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp dried basil
1tbsp mustard powder
½tsp ground ginger
1tbsp garlic granules
1½tbsp white pepper
1tbsp black pepper
1tsp salt
2tbsp vegetable oil
Olive oil spray (not low-calorie)
Method
(Prep: 10 minutes, cook: 20 minutes)
1. Coat the chicken pieces in the buttermilk or beaten egg.
2 Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then dredge the chicken first in this mix, then back into the buttermilk or
beaten egg, then coat in the dry mix one more time.
3 Add the vegetable oil to your air fryer and preheat for 2 minutes at 200°C.
4 This next step is very important; coat the chicken VERY well with the olive oil spray – the flour needs to look mostly yellow from the spray. Air-fry at 200°C for 20 minutes, turning and re-spraying halfway through cooking.
5 As your air fryer will be at capacity with the chicken, you could just pop some chips in the oven and heat some baked beans in the microwave or on the hob to accompany.
Cauliflower and aubergine flatbreads with a lime yoghurt
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
1 aubergine, sliced
1tbsp oil
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric
1tbsp curry powder
1tbsp paprika
1tsp mild chilli powder
4 flatbreads
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh coriander, to garnish
Pickled veg, jalapeno or red onion, to serve
Hummus with a drizzle of olive oil, to serve
For the yoghurt:
1tbsp tahini
1 lime, zested
6tbsp yoghurt
Method
(Prep: 5 minutes, cook: 15 minutes)
1. Coat the cauliflower florets and aubergine slices in the oil and the spices and season to taste. Air-fry for 14-16 minutes at 190°C.
2 Combine all the yoghurt ingredients in a bowl.
3 Toast the flatbreads in the air fryer at 190°C for 1 minute, then serve alongside the yoghurt and hummus and garnish.
S’mores dip with banana and chocolate swirls
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
2 ready-made crêpes or tortilla wraps
2 heaped tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread (for example, Nutella)
2 bananas icing sugar, to dust
For the s’mores dip:
300g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
200g large marshmallows
Method
1 Spread each crêpe or wrap with the chocolate hazelnut spread and add a peeled banana on top of each one, placed up to the edge, then roll up the crêpe or wrap until you reach the end. Dust with icing sugar and cut into bite-size chunks. If you want, cook in the air fryer at 200°C for 7 minutes.
2. For the s’mores dip, place the chocolate on the bottom of a heatproof dish, then scatter the marshmallows on top in an even layer, making sure they fully cover the chocolate. Air-fry at 160°C for 5–6 minutes until gooey and melted.
3 Serve the banana swirls along with the s’mores dip, get stuck in and enjoy. I like to dust the crêpe bites again with icing sugar just before dipping.
Extracted from Bored of Lunch: Healthy Air Fryer: 30 Minute Meals by Nathan Anthony (Ebury Press, £20). Photography by Dan Jones.
