Do you like chicken wings and chips as much as I do??? Do you hate the mess, agro and smell caused from deep frying??? Well, have I got a great kitchen gadget for you!!
We recently got a Tefal AW950040 Family ActiFry Fryer in Black from Argos. This was something I had wanted for a very long time. My friend Angie (may she rest in peace) had gotten one a couple of years ago and raved about how good it was. The Actifry Fryer is a machine that uses new cooking technology to create crisp fries and other foods with virtually no oil. I love chips, but I don't love all the fat and calories in them, so they are a very rare treat in this house.
The first thing I cooked in the ActiFry Fryer was chips. I just had to see if they were as good as promised. I apologize ahead of time for the lousy photos. ( I hate the problems I with natural light in these late autumn/winter months.) Egg and Chips was on the menu. Normally I do oven chips but this time I used the fryer and I have to say . . . they turned out really well.
I followed the instructions which came with the machine exactly and we were rewarded with nicely crisp, yet low fat chips!
You just cut up your potatoes, rinse and dry them and then pop them into the fryer with a spoonful of oil, measured in the oil measurer that comes with the machine. Thirty minutes later you are the lucky recipients of crisp and golden fries, with very little fat added. Every few minutes, I peered into the machine, and nothing much seemed to be happening . . . at first. The potatoes were being stirred by the revolving arm, very, very slowly. It wasn't long though before that began to change! It was rather amazing actually.
The Toddster is rather fond of an egg and chips supper every now and then and he was well pleased with the way the chips turned out. So was I. Call me a happy camper.
But it is a rather large machine and I have very limited space in my kitchen . . . was the Actifry more than a one trick pony?? Next up Chicken Wings. I adore chicken wings, but I don't adore all of that fat and those calories. I especially love Chinese Chicken wings . . .
I created a batter using flour, corn flour, egg and some salt and cayenne. I coated the wing pieces in this mixture, dumped them into the fryer, set the timer and let the magic happen. At first I despaired that they would turn out . . . I literally had to stop watching it . . .
No need to fear however as thirty five minutes later we had crisp golden and spicy chicken wings! Result!!
I created a spicy sweet sauce to toss them in so that they would be finger licking good. I love sauced crisp wings. Don't you?
Created with honey, soy, fresh ginger root, muscovado sugar, rice wine vinegar and red chilies, this was the perfect sauce to toss with those crisp little babies.
I also added some chopped roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds for extra crunch, texture and flavor. Oh boy, were these ever good. I have some more chicken wings in the fridge and am going to hot wings next. I can't wait! (NO worries if you don't have an actifry, you can cook these tasty little wings the old fashioned way in hot oil.)
*Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings*Makes 4 servingsPrintable Recipe
These were done in my T-Fal acti-fry machine. I will include instructions at the end to do them without an acti-fry machine. They are wonderfully delicious. Crisp and spicey and sweet!
About a dozen chicken wings, jointed,
tips removed and discarded(giving you 24 pieces)35g of plain flour (1/4 cup)30g corn flour (1/4 cup)1 large free range egg, beaten1 tsp salt1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste1 TBS peanut oil
For the Sauce:125ml of water (1/2 cup)1 TBS finely grated fresh ginger root1 1/2 TBS dark soy sauce100g soft light brown muscovado sugar (1/2 cup packed)3 TBS seasoned rice wine vinegar120ml of golden syrup or honey (1/2 cup)1 tsp crushed chilies (I used Gourmet Garden)
To finish:35g roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)2 TBS sesame seeds, toasted
Mix the flour, cornflour, egg, salt and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Dry your wings well with some paper kitchen towelling and then toss them into the batter to coat them thoroughly, mixing with your hands. (They are the best tools invented!) Dump them into the ActiFry machine. Drizzle with the oil. Close the lid to the machine and cook for 35 minutes.
While the wings are cooking, make the sauce. Combine the water, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and golden syrup/honey in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a quick simmer, allowing it to reduce to a syrupy thick sauce. Turn out the burner and keep warm.Once the wings are cooked, toss them into the saucepan with the sauce and add the chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. The wings should be coated completely with the sauce and covered with the crunchy bits. Delicious!
Note: for conventional cooking once you have the wings coated in the batter deep fry them in a pot of hot oil (177*C-193*C/350*F-380*F) until crisp and cooked through. Drain well on paper towels and then toss with the sauce as above.
Guess who else is a fan of the Acti Fry?? I am in good company. Just sayin is all . . .
The Tefal Actifry Family can hold up to 1.5kg enough to feed the whole family! The unique patented technology makes for healthier crisps and chips without those horrible greasy odours. One spoon of oil to cook your favorite fresh food with no preheating. The transparent lid makes it easier to see your food as it cooks. All removable parts are also dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning up a breeze. If I could find one thing wrong with it, it would be the size of it as it is rather hefty, but the results I got using it more than make up for that one simple drawback.
Right now you can buy one at Argos for £149.99, which is a saving of £70 from off the regular price of £219.99. Is it worth it?? I think so.
I was really happy with the service from Argos as well. Delivery was quick and everything arrived in short order and perfect shape.
Colour me happy!!
