Last Updated on January 9, 2024
Feasting on Roast Partridge with a Satisfry
With limited kitchen space, it’s vital for me that any new gadget I introduce is compact, smart, easy to clean and multifunctional. I’ve been using a small oven-style air fryer for a year or so now but was keen to road-test the Satisfry multicooker. More than just an air fryer, it can grill, roast, sear, bake, slow cook and keep food warm too. For me that functionality fits nicely in with my existing kitchen paraphernalia – I have a microwave, a full-size oven and hob and a small electric pressure cooker. I don’t own a toaster (or have space for one) and as I live by myself, switching on the oven for one jacket potato is hardly energy efficient.
I have to confess, I’ve developed something of an addiction to air fryer chips. I start mine by peeling and cutting a potato into chips, then steaming in the microwave for just 1 minute 30 seconds, before letting the chips dry out and coating them in seasoned oil. Then, just 12 minutes in the Satisfry for chips that are the closest I’ve found to the ‘proper’ deep-fried version. You can, of course, skip the microwave part and just air fry for a bit longer. But, I like the fluffy middles I get by steaming the chips first!
Another favourite is Rarebit made in the Satisfry.
The grill function lets you toast bread on both sides at once – so for a toasted sandwich or rarebit, it’s quicker and easier than using a conventional grill.
But, where the Russell Hobbs Satisfry comes into its own is for cooking portions of poultry, fish or game where I’d normally start the dish on the hob before putting it into the oven. With the Satisfry, I can use the sear function to seal my meat or fish, then add liquid to the roasting pan and finish the dish off on the roast setting. I’ve used the same process to cook chicken portions, salmon and (my favourite) partridge and pheasant. The Satisfry will happily roast a small chicken too.
The matt black and bronze finish makes the Russell Hobbs Satisfry look spot-on on the countertop. I love the overall design which lets you lift the lid when you are cooking. The baking pan and the grill both go in the dishwasher, so it’s a doddle to keep clean (a lot easier than the oven-style one I was using before). And, it heats up quickly.
Here are the main pros and cons for me
Pros
- Energy efficient – it uses less than half the electricity of my main oven
- Multifunctional with features that the main oven doesn’t have
- Complimentary to the main oven for keeping things warm (I’ve been using the keep warm for resting meat!)
- Very easy to keep clean
- Makes great chips
- Healthy cooking using the air fryer functionality
- Perfect size for one or two portions
Cons
- Not big enough for larger roasts
- The baking pan can’t go onto the hob – so where I’d normally make gravy in a roasting tin, I have to deglaze and use a second pan
- The layout of the function buttons is not intuitive. It can be hard to see which function has been selected because of the design.
Overall though, this is a winning device. Even though it currently retails for less than half of my oven-style air fryer from a competitor brand, this one is staying on my countertop and is the one I prefer to use.
Meanwhile, here’s how to cook game birds in a Satisfry. The same methodology would work in any oven, but this is easier to manage and to clean up afterwards.
A simple method ro roast partridge or pheasant in an air fryer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 50 grams butter
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 banana shallots
- 1 stick celery
- 2 small partridge
- 150 millilitres dry white wine
- salt and pepper
- 4-6 juniper berries
- 2 fresh bay leaves
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Peel the carrots, trim and cut into batons
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Trim and clean the celery stick and cut into batons
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Peel the shallots and cut in half
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Put the olive oil into the Satisfry multicooker and set to sear
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Season the partridge with salt and pepper
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Sear each side of the partridges - allowing 1-2 minutes to get the skin to a nice golden colour
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Add the vegetables and continue to sear for 2 minutes.
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Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt
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Add the wine, bayleaves and juniper berries and set the Satisfry multicooker to roast at 180C for 30 minutes
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Check the birds regularly and top up the liquid with water as required
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Once the birds reach 75c on a meat thermometer and the juices run clear, they are cooked
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Switch off the Satisfry and allow the birds to rest in the pan for a further 5-10 minutes
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Serve with mash and red cabbage
This method is for a Russell Hobbs Satisfry Multicooker. You could cook the birds in the same way in a full size oven or in any oven style airfryer
You can buy the Russell Hobbs Satisfry Multicooker directly from their website
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