The countdown is on to our favourite dinner of the entire year — Yes, the Christmas dinner!
But before you switch on every appliance in the kitchen, it might be worth thinking about letting the air fryer take the lead this year.
Gina Daly from The Daly Dish gives her best tips:
The Christmas dinner. Advice before you start:
Cook the turkey first, leave that to rest on the side and cover in tinfoil
The longer you rest it – it lets the juices recirculate
Use the juice then for your roast potatoes or gravy
Do your roast potatoes next and then your vegetables
The air fryer is great at reheating things
The microwave can make food ‘soggy’
My sister cuts off individual slices of turkey and ham
Wraps 12 pieces in tinfoil and heats them up in airfryer later then
What about the turkey then?
You can cook any meat in the airfryer. Firstly I would try to buy a really cheap meat thermometer as they are handy to have. It means you’re not second guessing on Christmas Day. A lot of the air fryers actually have them built in.
For the turkey, put the breast down first!
That means when it’s cooking, the juices go from the top to the breast
It makes the turkey so moist and juicy
For the last 15 mins – turn the breast up again & let the skin crisp up
I think air fryer turkey is the nicest you’ll get
You also don’t have to worry about basting
It’s losing less juices being in the airfryer
I do a 2 ½ kg turkey in the airfryer – usually takes about 50-60 mins
Always double check it with the thermometer
And the vegetables?
Pop everything in (I do carrots, parsnips and brussels sprouts)
Prep as normal – peel, top and tail
Par boil them first as they can be quite dense (This takes the heaviness out of them)
Then throw them into the air fryer
Drizzle with honey and salt (They’ll be sticky and yummy)
You can also do a “Brussel Sprout and Leek Gratin” which is great for somebody in the house who doesn’t like sprouts. It’s a gentle way to introduce them
Mix together some parmesan, cream, chicken stock and garlic (It neutralizes the taste of the sprouts)
Fry off some leek and sprouts
Pop everything into the airfryer and bake like a gratin
Everyone’s favorite, the roasties!
I have a special knack of doing them and I won’t be told any differently!
Peel and rinse the potatoes
I like to use roosters, they work really well in the airfryer
Put them into a microwave container with no water
Par boil them dry for 10 mins in the microwave
Give them a good shake
Throw goose or duck fat over them
Pop rape seed oil or olive oil into air fryer
Heat for 5 mins
Then throw the roast potatoes in
Every 10-15 mins, give them a shake
They’ll be the best you’ve ever tasted!
Stuffing?
I make my own stuffing, it’s my Mom’s recipe and I use lots of butter and onions:
Sautee them in the pan, then add breadcrumbs, and seasoning
Pop it all in the airfryer with a knob of butter
Another idea is to do “Stuffing balls”
You can have them done in advance
Precook them too!
Dessert
Viral Airfryer Savoury S’mores Dip I have seen these around online and had to try them myself – and they are incredible !!! (Not my own idea)
Camembert
Brie
Prosciutto
Chorizo Slices
Smooth Cranberry Sauce
Honey
What about leftovers?
Have you ever heard of a Yorkshire Pudding wrap? It’s a really simple recipe
Pop equal amount of flour, eggs and milk into a jug
Season it with salt and pepper
Pour into a bowl and whisk up
Pop it into your air fryer with oil and let it cook away
It makes a giant yorkshire pudding wrap
Fill it with leftovers and pour gravy on top
For those who are thinking of getting a loved one an airfryer for Christmas. Any advice?
They are all really good quality. Stick with whatever budget you can afford and look at the number of people you’re feeding. Don’t go too small and you could wait until the January sales. New models are constantly coming out but the old ones are still perfect!
Dining and Cooking