Can I Make The Mirin Glazed Salmon In An Air Fryer?

Our answer

Nigella's Mirin Glazed Salmon (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) has salmon fillets that are marinated in a teriyaki style sauce. The fillets are then briefly pan fried and the marinade is added to the pan after and allowed to bubble briefly before being poured over the salmon. It is best to make this dish with a good non-stick frying pan.

Unfortunately we do not think that this recipe would be particularly good for an air fryer. The direct contact of the salmon with the pan caramelizes the marinade on the fillets quickly, letting the fish stay moist and pink in the centre. We suspect that an air fryer would cook the salmon all the way through, and possibly overcook it, before the same caramelization occurs. Also, as air fryers have powerful fans, we suspect that the marinade clinging to the salmon would probably end up on the sides and base of the air fryer and would burn on, making cleanup more laborious. In addition, you would still need to use a frying pan or saucepan to cook the marinade as it needs to thicken slighty and it is not generally advisable to eat a marinade that has been in contact with raw food without boiling it first.