The air fryer has long been pigeonholed as a gadget for frozen nuggets and chips, but a new cookbook aims to change that perception. Lucy Lord’s ‘Love Your Air Fryer’ demonstrates how this kitchen staple has evolved into a genuinely versatile, everyday tool, capable of producing everything from crispy chilli beef to hot honey chicken and gooey chocolate-chip cookies.
Lord admits she was initially sceptical. “I was late to the air fryer game, but the second I finally used one, I knew it was a keeper,” she writes. Like many, she worried it would be just another fad cluttering her countertop. However, one use changed her mind completely. “That’s when I fell in love, hard and fast.”
Since then, her oven has seen far less action. “For everyday cooking, the air fryer nearly always wins,” she says. It’s not just quicker; it’s more adaptable, allowing for wholesome meals without the usual hassle. Lord reframes the device as “a compact, powerful mini oven” that bakes, roasts, reheats, and creates nourishing dishes. It’s not just about chips anymore.
From Fakeaway to Bakery-Style Treats
The book moves beyond beige stereotypes, offering recipes designed for real life: quick, high-protein, and scaled for one or two people. Highlights include crispy-skinned fish with fresh salsas, meal-prep staples, and small-batch baking. “Suddenly it wasn’t just about quick wedges, it was about small-batch baking… and even brunch dishes that felt weekend-worthy but took half the time,” Lord notes.
One standout recipe is crispy chilli beef, a fakeaway favourite with glossy sauce and crisp edges, ready in minutes. Cornflake chicken strips with hot honey offer crunch and heat without deep frying. And for dessert, chocolate-chip cookies emerge soft in the middle with crisp edges, baked in small batches that make sense for everyday life.
Crispy Chilli Beef Recipe
Ingredients: 250g thin-cut rump or sirloin steak, 2 tbsp cornflour, 1 tsp Chinese five spice, 1 tsp olive oil. For the sauce: 1 tsp olive oil, 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 tsp minced ginger, 1 red chilli (sliced), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp sesame oil. To serve: egg noodles, spring onions, red chillies, sesame seeds.
Method: Pat steak dry, slice into thin strips. Mix cornflour, five spice, and salt; toss beef to coat. Drizzle with oil. Air fry at 200C for 12 minutes, shaking halfway. Meanwhile, sauté garlic, ginger, and chilli in oil; add remaining sauce ingredients and simmer. Toss beef in sauce. Serve over noodles with toppings.
Cornflake Chicken Strips with Hot Honey
Ingredients: 60g cornflakes, 15g Parmesan (grated), 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 egg, 400g chicken breasts (cut into strips), olive oil spray, hot honey.
Method: Blitz cornflakes, Parmesan, and spices into fine crumbs. Whisk egg. Dip chicken in egg, then coat in crumbs. Arrange in air fryer, spray with oil, cook at 200C for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Drizzle with hot honey.
Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Ingredients: 110g butter (softened), 120g soft light brown sugar, 30g caster sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 200g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp salt, 180g chocolate chips.
Method: Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in flour, bicarb, and salt; fold in chocolate chips. Chill dough 30 minutes. Scoop into 40g balls. Air fry at 160C for 6 minutes on lined tray. Rest in air fryer, then cool on rack.
Lord concludes, “Good food should add to your life, not take away from it, and the air fryer makes that possible.” Her recipes prove that this gadget is far more than a one-trick pony.
