Eye for a Recipe

I have a new kitchen toy — an extra-large air fryer. Air fryers aren’t really fryers at all – they are small convection ovens that circulate hot air with a fan. The intense hot air approximates frying — with little or no fat. I have a Philips Avance model and have been impressed with the results — crispy fries, moist fish and chicken that cooks through and browns in 20 minutes. It frees up oven space and there is no spatter! On the down side, it is large and heavy, so I’ve been leaving mine on the countertop. These Tandoori chicken thighs are from the American’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection cookbook. Marinate the chicken for a few minutes and then air fry for 20-30 minutes. You could also bake them in a 425 F (218 C) oven for 30-40 minutes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure your dried spices don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use fresh lime juice and yogurt with no additives.

There are many different models of air fryers. This is a Philips XL Avance.

Marinate the chicken and place in the fryer basket.

The chicken is cooked and well-browned in about 20 minutes.

Air fried Tandoori chicken thighs

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grated fresh garlic

1 ½ tsp (7.5 ml) garam masala

1 tsp (5 ml) chili powder

1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

½ cup (125 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt

4 tsp (20 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice

4 5-oz (140-g) bone in, skin-on chicken thighs

Preparation:

Combine garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, oil, ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt and ¼ tsp (1 ml) pepper in large bowl and microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Set aside to cool slightly, then stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) yogurt and 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using metal skewer, poke skin side of chicken 10 to 15 times (omit this step if you aren’t using an air fryer). Add to bowl with yogurt-spice mixture and toss to coat; set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) yogurt and remaining 1 tsp (5 ml) lime juice in clean bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off, and arrange skin side up in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart (or place chicken on baking sheet). Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 F (204 C) (or place in pre-heated 425 F/218 C oven). Cook until chicken is well-browned and crisp and registers 195 F (90 C), 20 to 30 minutes, rotating chicken halfway through cooking; do not flip (if roasting in oven, cook 30-40 minutes).

Transfer chicken to serving platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with reserved yogurt-lime sauce. Serves 2.

From America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection

Now that the holidays are over, I feel like cooking simple, light meals. This sheet-pan shrimp recipe fits the bill. Create a paste of garlic, oregano, lemon juice, oil and pepper. Rub the paste on peeled shrimp and broil them for a few minutes on each side. Serve with tomatoes and feta.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the feta to make sure it is additive-free and use freshly squeezed lemon juice. I use frozen shrimp with only salt added.

Coat the shrimp with the paste and broil for a few minutes on each side

Sheet pan shrimp with tomatoes, oregano and feta

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

Black pepper

1 ½ pounds (680 g) peeled shrimp

Chopped tomatoes, for serving

Crumbled feta, for serving

Preparation:

Turn on the broiler, and position the oven rack close to the heat.

Mash garlic clove with salt until it forms a paste. Add chopped oregano, lemon juice, olive oil and lots of black pepper. Rub paste all over peeled shrimp.

Spread shrimp out on a pan and broil, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Served topped with chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta. Serves 4.

From New York Times Cooking

Happy New Year! This recipe from Alison Roman’s Nothing Fancy can be made in the oven or on the grill. Marinate the chicken in citrus juice, tamari sauce, oil, jalapeno and garlic. Cook the chicken and let it rest on top of citrus slices. Sprinkle with herbs and reserved marinade and serve after the chicken has rested about 15 minutes.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed juice and tamari, which does not contain artificial ingredients. Use jalapeno instead of the sambal sauce.

Let the cooked chicken rest on citrus slices, topped with herbs and reserved marinade

Citrus chicken rested in herbs

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 ml) lime or lemon juice, plus 1 lime or lemon, thinly sliced

½ cup (125 ml) orange juice, plus 1 orange, thinly sliced, seeds removed

½ cup (125) ml soy or tamari sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) sambal or 1 jalapeño chilli, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

Kosher salt and freshly ground

Black pepper

1 3.5 to 4 lb. (1.6 to 1.8 kg) chicken, halved lengthways through the backbone, or bone-in, skin-on parts

1 handful coarsely chopped coriander, tender leaves and stems

1 handful coarsely chopped parsley, tender leaves and stems

A few sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano or marjoram (optional)

Preparation:

To make the marinade, combine the lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, oil, jalpeno and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set about half aside for later, and add the rest of the marinade to a large bowl, resealable bag or baking dish. Add the chicken, tossing to coat well.

Let it sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Alternatively, heat a barbecue grill to medium heat, with cooler coals or low flames on one side. (You can grill the chicken over hotter flames, but it can be challenging to manage; for beginners, it’s good to err on the side of the coals being slightly cooler than slightly hotter.)

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade the chicken was sitting in. Place on a baking tray, skin side up. Roast until the skin is deeply browned and lightly charred and the chicken is cooked through, 35–45 minutes; there’s no need to flip or turn the chicken.

Alternatively, place the chicken skin side down on the grill and cover; make sure the vents are open. Let it grill, resisting the urge to turn or check too frequently, until it’s nicely golden brown with those cute little grill marks, 10–12 minutes; just like when you’re searing chicken in a skillet, the skin will release effortlessly once it’s cooked and golden. Attempting to move it beforehand will probably tear the skin and maybe ruin your day! Using your finest and largest tongs, carefully flip the chicken, then cover so that it continues to grill and cook on the other side, another 10–12 minutes. Flip once more, skin side down, and add a few halves of cut citrus if you have them. Continue to grill another 5–8 minutes, to crisp the skin and finish cooking through.

Place the citrus slices on a platter or cutting board and scatter with the herbs. Place the cooked chicken on top, skin side up, and pour the reserved marinade over. Let the chicken rest for 10–20 minutes, allowing its juices to mingle with the citrus and herbs.

Carve the chicken into pieces before serving. Serves 4-6.

From Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman