Air Fryer Recipe
Crispy Leek and Smoked Haddock Frittatas
A delicious and easy-to-make crispy leek and smoked haddock frittatas recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 200g smoked haddock
- 2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 6 large eggs
- 100ml milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh dill, chopped, for garnish
Method
- Poach the smoked haddock in enough water to cover it, simmering for 5-7 minutes. Remove, cool, and flake into small pieces.
- Sauté the sliced leeks in olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with milk, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add the flaked haddock and sautéed leeks to the egg mixture and stir well.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F) for about 3 minutes.
- Grease air fryer baskets or small oven-proof dishes with olive oil. Pour the frittata mixture evenly into them.
- Cook in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes until set and lightly golden on top.
- Remove from the air fryer and garnish with fresh dill before serving warm.
Why this works in an air fryer
Small, shallow frittatas suit air frying because fast convection sets the egg from the edges inward while evaporating surface moisture for a lightly crisp top. Pre-cooking the leeks drives off water that would otherwise make the custard weep, and poaching the haddock gently keeps it flaky rather than tough.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 2–4 small ovenproof dishes in a single layer, filled no more than about 3cm deep. In a single-drawer fryer, cook centrally and rotate dishes halfway if browning is uneven; in dual-zone models, split the dishes between drawers and expect 1–3 minutes longer if both zones are full.
Common pitfalls
- Watery liquid pooling around the edges after cooking? The leeks were under-sautéed or the haddock was added wet; cook leeks until no steam clouds the pan and pat the flaked fish dry before mixing.
- Brown top but loose, wobbling centre at 12 minutes? The dishes are too deep or overfilled; cover loosely with foil, reduce to 170°C and cook 3–5 minutes more so the centre sets without scorching.
- Rubbery, puffed-up egg with cracked sides? The frittatas have overcooked; pull them when the centre has a slight tremble, as residual heat will finish setting them.
- Sticking or ragged edges when unmoulding? The dishes were not greased high enough up the sides; oil the base and sides well, then rest for 3 minutes before loosening with a silicone spatula.
Variations & substitutions
- Replace smoked haddock with hot-smoked salmon; it is already cooked, so skip poaching and fold it in gently to avoid breaking it into paste.
- Use crème fraîche instead of milk for a richer set; it browns a little faster, so check from 10 minutes.
- Add peas or sweetcorn, but keep them to a small handful and thaw/drain first, otherwise the extra water delays setting.
- Swap dill for chives or parsley; add delicate herbs after cooking so the air fryer heat does not dull their flavour.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled frittatas covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–6 minutes until hot through.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
