Let’s be honest, it was only a matter of time before TV kitchen king Jamie Oliver jumped on the airfryer bandwagon.
Unlike its predecessors, air fryers seem to have been at the top of the list of must-have kitchen gadgets for some time now.
Most of us have learned how to air fryer cooking these days with the help of the many recipe books published, not to mention the countless TV shows and literally millions of hacks broadcast on TikTok and Instagram. You’re probably getting pretty good at it.
Given its popularity, it’s perhaps no surprise that Jamie Oliver failed to impress with his new series about cooking with an air fryer.
From the list of ingredients and associated costs, to his technique that makes it look like you don’t have to clean the fryer yourself, to even clearer product placement, to a review of the first episode of Oliver, Oliver shows you: He was scathing about the Air Fryer, which he promised was “more than just nuggets and chips.”
I’m a fan of the air fryer myself (I once cooked an entire Christmas party in one just to see if I could do it) and am always on the lookout for some new recipes, so I’m looking forward to seeing how many of Oliver’s creations I make myself. I decided to give it a try and see how easy it is.
A quick look through the collection (you have to sign up to access some recipes and avoid the many Tefal ads along the way – one of the sources of criticism of the new series ), we have quite a nice selection. , from the strange-sounding “Messy Pork and Pineapple Noodles” to the “Kerala Roast Chicken” and “Grilled Fish with Prosciutto,” which sadly look a bit unappealing due to the images.
I’ll try out the selection. Who doesn’t like barbecue chicken when you grill it in the air fryer? Salmon and crispy potatoes. Because it’s closer to a “proper meal” than the other recipes posted.
Then I made some air fryer baked goods: oat cookies and cheese and chive scones. I’m still not sold on the idea of baking in an air fryer, so maybe Jamie Oliver can convince me.
As expected, the materials list requires a trip to your local co-op, hoping they have everything you need.
To be fair to Oliver, this list isn’t all that out of the ordinary, it’s pretty standard, but I may have helped with recipe selection.
Although I was disappointed about the herbs, I decided I could get by and committed to making cheese scones without chives. However, I hope it still tastes good.
Buying the main ingredients for the four recipes will cost you just over £20, bearing in mind that you already have some staples such as flour and other spices in your store cupboard.
Compared to some of the ingredient lists, endless baked goods to get two people through two meals and even days of snacking doesn’t seem unreasonable (unless of course they’re gross).
However, given the fact that food costs are still an issue for many people, many of us are turning to airfryer as a cost-cutting option, effectively spending £20 for four meals and some snacks. However, compared to traditional meal costs, this may be considered excessive. There are also several other air fryer and one-pot options.
BBQ chicken thighs
I start with the chicken, but if I cook the salmon first I always have to clean the air fryer between recipes, but I figured I might be able to cook it later this way.
The recipe is very simple. Just rub the chicken thighs with breadcrumbs on the barbecue. I make it thanks to some rogue bread I found in the back of my freezer, then air fry it and add corn on the cob after the chicken. I got a head start.
The corn turns out nice and golden brown (I sprayed it liberally with olive oil spray). Some of the chicken pieces are, but some of the breading still looks a little anemic at the end of the cooking time.
I would love to trust Jamie Oliver, but I decided to trust my temperature probe instead. Then, it was confirmed that the thighs were indeed cooked.
I don’t mind the “crunchy slaw” that Jamie recommended, so it’s all served in a pot of BBQ sauce. To be fair, it looks pretty tasty.
Is it as appealing as a pile of golden, crispy fried chicken? Maybe not, but I knew it wasn’t.
But it’s a crowd-pleaser and something you can easily serve to friends. But what are we doing with chicken in the air fryer that we haven’t done in years? not much.
But, to my annoyance, my air fryer ended up filling up with crumbs, ruining my plan to reuse it without washing it. I head to the sink.
Served with salmon and crispy potatoes
Next is salmon. Another simple method that doesn’t really test the airfryer or my own cooking abilities.
Slice new potatoes, toss with olive oil and seasonings, add thyme and air fry.
However, since I don’t have thyme, I add some rosemary instead. Salmon is placed on top, after adding olive oil and seasonings along with asparagus and adding a few lemon chunks.
Again, a delicious and easy meal. But did you need Jamie Oliver’s viral recipe to make it? Probably not.
air fryer oat cookies
Baked goods may be the most popular reason to refer to recipes. I’m no baker, and I’ve never bothered to try an air fryer, but I can see why oat and sultana cookies are so appealing.
While they’re not overly complex in terms of ingredients, and I’m not sure they’ll win any healthy eating awards thanks to the copious amounts of sugar and golden syrup, these are air fryer recipes, and they’re perfect for the health-conscious and virtuous. It’s not a recipe.
The method is very simple. Melt the butter and golden syrup and add to the bowl with plenty of oats, flour, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, bicarbonate and sultanas and mix to form a dough, ready to divide into balls and cook. I am.
It’s actually no different from making regular cookies, just change the cooking method from oven to fryer.
Frustratingly, having to make 15 cookies at once means that the cookies require three 15-minute cooking sessions to complete, and a lot of changing and replacing. means. Traditional cookies made in the oven.
Not to mention the fact that there are some things stuck in the air fryer basket that will require more cleaning, so for batches number 2 and 3, I will monitor it closely and try to prevent that from happening. is needed.
I think spraying oil is also effective. I feel like I’m kidding a bit, but I’ll admit that it makes my house smell lovely, thanks to the hint of cinnamon and general home baking appeal.
When I tasted it, my husband gave me his thumbs up, praising how crispy it was on the outside and how soft it was on the inside, but I don’t know if that’s due to Jamie Oliver’s genius or if it’s his tried-and-tested cookie recipe. .
cheese and chive scones
Scones are also basically a traditional recipe that just uses an air fryer.
Add mustard powder and cayenne pepper to the flour and butter, rub into the breadcrumbs, and add grated cheese.
I couldn’t find any chives, so I substituted Jamie’s “cheese and chive scones” with a bog standard cheese version, but I’m sure he won’t mind. I mean, he doesn’t even suggest using a scone cutter.
Instead, he is advised to cut into “triangular” wedges, so he will admire my similarly laissez-faire attitude.
Brush it with milk, top it with more cheese and cayenne pepper, and after 12 minutes it comes out pretty pretty and as promised. In his words, it’s “crunchy and golden, but fluffy on the inside.”
The last 5 steps in this 12-step recipe actually have nothing to do with scones, but it’s interesting to see that they are a very detailed way to make a salad to accompany scones. No one eats salad with scones, so I forgo this, but I make his “lemon cream cheese.” This is a great addition.
Out of all the recipes, this is the one I would love to make again. You might even follow his cheerful advice: “Try the sweet version for a spin.”
final verdict
The feast is ready, but I’m not as annoyed as some of the people commenting on Jamie Oliver’s recent contribution to the British culinary world. I was just blown away.
We’ve all long agreed that air fryers are extremely versatile, thanks to the fact that they’re essentially small convection ovens. Of course, some recipes are basically the same as the originals, only we cook them with this wildly popular gadget instead. traditional oven. This recipe collection alone is enough.
They all work well, taste great, and aren’t too difficult to make. However, some things are easier to make in the oven, unless he can’t carry three air fryers at the same time due to space considerations. You need to do multiple things at the same time.
But more importantly, in a world where chefs, influencers, and all sorts of other people are doing weird and wonderful things with air fryers, Jamie’s recipe is a little basic and, frankly, air fryer. It feels a little similar to last season when it comes to the Flyer experiment.
You can’t blame him for wanting to jump on the bandwagon, especially if it means making him a little money and getting him on TV. But the problem is, he’s a little late to the party…
