AirFryday: Chicken thighs with eccentric accompaniments

The difference between fresh turmeric and the ubiquitous dried powder is significant. Slices of fresh turmeric lend an intriguing smokiness to a dish. Their flavour is beguiling and arresting; you think, ooooh what’s that?

They look like little tubers of fresh ginger, but are burnished brown of hue and, when you peel them, your eyes meet the most brilliant yellow imaginable.

Speaking of which, I was intrigued to find fresh baby ginger in the fridge of my local Checkers. “Baby” doesn’t seem the best word, because they were of similar size to regular “grownup” ginger roots. But you could see the difference. Paler. Soft skin. Little “arms”, as it were, sticking out of them – stems – as if they were keen to shoot up.

When I peeled the “baby ginger” at home later, the skin almost peeled itself away. Beautiful.

I had also bought some perky, substantial parsnips – one of my favourite vegetables – and popped some frisky looking sweet red peppers in as well.

Oh, and chicken thighs. Love chicken thighs.

This was all destined to become an utterly delicious super all cooked in air fryers. And don’t we all love that…

Tony’s chicken thighs with eccentric accompaniments

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

Olive oil, as needed

10 baby red, orange and yellow sweet peppers, trimmed and sliced lengthwise (they’re sold in mixed packs)

4 bird’s eye chillies, seeded and chopped (half for the chicken, half for the parsnips)

4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (half for the chicken, half for the parsnips)

4 x 6cm pieces of fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced thinly (half for the chicken, half for the parsnips)

2 chunky 4cm pieces of fresh baby ginger, sliced and lightly peeled (half for the chicken, half for the parsnips)

4 chunky parsnips, root ends removed, peeled and sliced into batons (half for the chicken, half for the parsnips)

1 cup chicken stock (Use 1 Ina Paarman sachet dissolved in 1 cup water)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Peel the ginger and turmeric and slice very thinly. Place in a small bowl. Add the chopped garlic and chillies, 8 Tbsp olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and stir. Let it stand while you prepare the other elements.

Chop the root ends off the parsnips and peel them. Slice in half from end to end, then slice those parts in half lengthwise again, and once or twice more if they’re quite sturdy parsnips. You’re looking for slim batons the length of the tuber. (If they’re slim ones, adapt accordingly – you’ll need more parsnips obviously than you would with thick ones.)

Remove the rack from an air fryer (it’s not needed for this dish).

Add a little oil to the base of the basket.

Place the chicken thighs in, skin side down, season with salt and black pepper, and turn. Season the skin side now. Move them around while working so that they’re coated all over with a film of oil.

Spoon half of the ginger and turmeric (and the garlic, chilli etc), and their oil, in between the thighs.

Prepare the sweet peppers and place the pieces between the thighs.

Spoon half of the chicken stock around the thighs but not over them.

Bake in the air fryer at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the parsnips and place the batons in another air fryer basket. Or cook them ahead of the chicken thighs, wash the basket and then do the chicken.

Luckily I have two, okay three, air fryers and since these critters are here to stay it’s not a bad idea to invest in a second one, promise. A twin-drawer fryer is an excellent choice.

Anyway, when cooking the parsnips, place the batons in an air fryer basket and add the rest of the ingredients: the slivers of fresh turmeric and ginger, garlic, chillies, the remaining oil, and the remainder of the chicken stock. Season with salt and black pepper.

Toss the parsnips around so that everything is coated, and roast in a preheated air fryer at 180°C (again, you don’t need the rack) until they’re just tender. Pull the drawer out every 3 or 4 minutes and use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to turn the batons over and make sure everything cooks evenly. It shouldn’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes in all. If the chicken is still cooking, leave them to cool and then reheat the parsnips quickly before serving.

And that, I believe, is possibly my best air fryer chicken recipe yet. You could serve it with rice, if you want to stretch it to feed more. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.