VIVE LA REVOLUTION
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mixed herbs, and you cook it – and because of the way it’s cooking, the fat is melting on top of the potato and adds extra flavour.”
If you are new to an air fryer, Fred urges you to do a bit of “trial and error”.
“You need to get used to it,” he says. “But I think you just follow the same principle of what you would normally do [when cooking].
“The best thing you can do is mix and match things” – trying different mains and side dishes together, while focusing on simple ingredients and recipes, without trying to overcomplicate anything.
“Basically let the air fryer do all the work for you,” he adds.
Ultimately, mastering the air fryer will give you meals “as good as restaurant food”, Fred suggests.
While some professional chefs might have a bit of snobbery around air fryers, that could soon change. Fred hints that restaurant kitchens might not be “too far off” using air fryers during service.
“One of the reasons why is because of the consistency you get in an air fryer... It’s very difficult to get it wrong,” he notes.
“It’s also very difficult to find chefs nowadays, because of the issue we have with labour.
“In restaurants especially, there’s a chronic staff shortage, which is huge. But with equipment like that, as long as you know what you’re doing, you’ve got a recipe, it’s very easy to show people what to do.
“While restaurants might need bigger bits of kit – or perhaps only use them for certain elements of service – Fred adds: “I think it’s only a matter of time, and possibly some people have already done it.”
■ Fred Sirieix has collaborated with Ninja to launch the Double Stacked Air
Fryer pop-up restaurant opening in London this month.
Go to eventbrite.com for tickets