2 weeks Ago By Ellen Jenne
As the festive season approaches, a culinary expert has issued a warning about cooking pigs in blankets. With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to gather all the trimmings for the perfect holiday feast. Pigs in blankets are a must-have, but an expert and inventor of one of the most popular kitchen gadgets in recent years has urged caution when it comes to their preparation.
The air fryer has become a common fixture in kitchens nationwide, but using it to cook your pigs in blankets could cause problems. Philips' in-house air fryer chef, Martin Senders, even advises against using it altogether. He warns that the risks may outweigh the benefits of the gadget.
Martin explained that while an air fryer can expedite the cooking process, cooking bacon could pose significant issues for the appliance, as reported by the Daily Record. The expert warned: "Bacon is high in fat, and as it cooks, it releases grease. In an air fryer, as the air circulates, this grease can splatter and potentially ignite if it comes into contact with the heating element.
This could not only create a lot of smoke but also pose a fire risk." Accumulated grease could clog the machine's various components, reducing its cooking efficiency over time, reports SurreyLive. Grease could also contribute to mould growth.
He elaborated: "As well, when it comes to pigs in blankets, the bacon on the outside can cook much faster than the sausage inside. "This could leave you with cremated bacon and an undercooked sausage, something you definitely don't want to be serving up to your guests. "Cooking pigs in blankets in your air fryer would also require multiple batches, making it less energy efficient than using a conventional oven.
"Instead, let the air fryer handle tasty honey-roasted vegetable sides, and if you have a dual basket model, you can even prepare them while cooking your turkey in the other compartment." Dietician Brenda Peralta said: "Bacon is a fatty food, and when it is cooked in an air fryer, the fat can drip down and cause smoke or splatter. This can make the bacon difficult to cook evenly, and it can also produce a lot of smoke and odours.
" BBC Good Food's Senior Food and Podcast Editor, Samuel Goldsmith, offered his own pearl of wisdom for those attempting the beloved Christmas accompaniment in the air fryer. He recommends sourcing "good quality" pork chipolatas wrapped in premium bacon strips for a top-notch feast. Culinary whizz Samuel has dished out a top tip for achieving the ultimate pigs in blankets, advocating for the use of streaky bacon to wrap these festive treats.
He also emphasised the importance of air fryer technique, advising cooks to "do everything in a single layer so you're not sticking them together in the [air fryer] basket to achieve that delectable crunchy exterior when cooking pigs in blankets in the air fryer"..
