Pigs in blankets are an unforgettable roast dinner component, loved for their salty, meaty flavour.

They're small and easy to cook in the oven, but the air fryer is the obvious alternative when the oven is full of other delicious roasted foods, like a juicy chicken or turkey.

According to Samuel Goldsmith, BBC Good Food’s Senior Food and Podcast Editor, the efficient appliance warrants unbeatable results, as he revealed in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk

He hailed "good quality pork chipolatas and good quality bacon" as the foundation of an excellent tray of pigs in blankets.

But Samuel suggests a certain kind of bacon to ensure the blankets are as crispy as the pigs when they leave the air fryer.

The self-professed air fryer fan said streaky bacon is a "must" every time he makes pigs in blankets and highlights that it is as simple as wrapping the two ingredients up and roasting them.

But only if you follow a few ground rules first. Samuel said there's "no need to overcomplicate" this roast dinner dish; rather, embrace the strong flavours of the pork.

After all, everyone knows they're best when used to mop up gravy, herbs and the crispy bits of roast potatoes left on the plate.

The BBC Good Food Editor urged everyone to "do everything in a single layer so you're not sticking them together in the [air fryer] basket to achieve that delectable crunchy exterior when cooking pigs in blankets in the air fryer".

Samuel added that pigs in blankets are simple and versatile, unlike Yorkshire puddings, which he "always" follows a recipe for.

He says that while you can add maple syrup, honey or a few sage leaves, the core recipe is as simple as two ingredients: pork chipolatas and streaky bacon.

Sam suggests using these in equal quantities to ensure each chipolata is wrapped in a single bacon rasher. His BBC Good Food recipe calls for eight of each.

To cook pigs in blankets in the air fryer, you need only five minutes to prepare them and 10 to 12 minutes to crisp them up.

First, wrap one rasher of bacon around each chipolata, then arrange it in a single layer in the air-fryer basket. Cook at 180C for 10 to 12 minutes until the bacon and chipolatas are cooked throughout.

Samuel said: "If you prefer extra-crisp bacon, cook for a few minutes more, but keep a close eye on the sausages."

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