(dramatic music)
- I feel really nervous.
Ah.
Do you think it's gonna explode?
I think the shrimp have betrayed me.
What a struggle.
(groans)
(upbeat music)
Welcome back to Chef Out of Water.
I'm Alexis, the chef who's always up for a challenge.
We've asked you, internet, to decide what unconventional
appliance I should cook a three course meal with.
I feel really nervous but I'm ready to find out
what I've got to work with today.
Airfryer. (boxes popping)
Pretty good.
This feels like a win.
I've actually used an airfryer before!
I have a good foundation of how this works.
I think I've got to do a bit of research to find out
what exactly I'm gonna make, but I feel really excited.
This is gonna be great.
So airfryers aren't that complicated.
There's a basket so you can prop stuff up on it.
The heat comes from the bottom
and kind of circulates it around.
They're pretty simple.
I mean I know that's famous last words but,
previously I've made a roast chicken,
I've made chicken wings, jalapeno poppers,
a bunch of chips like vegetable chips, that's pretty easy.
Oh, someone's made cannoli before?
People are really into shrimp.
Coconut shrimp, fried shrimp.
You can make lobster tails in an airfryer.
I've got my grocery list,
I'm gonna have Ryan go out and grab a few things.
(lighthearted music)
And in the meantime, I'm gonna get started on
what we have in the pantry.
Confidence is a solid seven.
I feel fine.
I feel fine, I mean how poorly can this go?
(water splashing)
Okay so I'm gonna work backwards
and I'm gonna start with dessert.
I'm gonna make a cherry cake tart torte thing,
which is based off a New York Times recipe
which is super popular, fool-proof.
I've made it in an oven so many times,
it's never gone wrong so I, well,
I hope it works in the airfryer but we'll see.
First step is, I got to put it on.
Power, great.
Temp, look at this!
And then start.
(airfryer beeping)
I'm starting by creaming some butter and some sugar.
If I was at home, I would use a mixer.
Ooh, this butter is certainly not soft yet.
Maybe I'll put it in the airfryer to melt a bit.
For a second.
This could be a terrible idea.
Ooh, no, no, no, no, great idea.
It's a great idea.
Slightly melted, look at that, wow, very efficient.
Oh my god, it's a great idea.
It's one of my best ideas.
Now, I'm gonna add my egg and it should make these like
swoopy ribbons and some baking powder to help it rise.
A pinch of salt, just want to get it all combined
and I'm gonna fold in some cherries, using frozen cherries
but if you had fresh, you can use that too,
and so I've got a little tiny tin,
buttered it, put some parchment down.
Just gonna add the cake.
Little cake is going in.
(Alexis yelps)
See you in 15 minutes.
(lighthearted music)
Yeah, it's a little burnt
but also appears to be a little raw.
I don't know what to do.
I think I need to do this again.
Okay, I've made another batter, exactly the same,
clean pan, I'm going to do a lower temperature this time.
I'm also gonna put it on roast instead of airfry
and cover it with tinfoil.
I think between those three things,
it's gonna work a lot better.
Roast.
My confidence level, I'm still gonna say a seven.
You know, I think we got off to a rocky start
but something's gonna work.
While the cake is baking,
I'm gonna get started on prepping my next course.
Ribs with corn pudding.
I love ribs.
I didn't grow up with corn pudding
and to have had it honestly like twice in my life
but it was really good
and it feels like it goes with ribs
and I feel like it's gonna work in here so.
So I need my butter melted again
but the airfryer is occupied.
This is a mess.
Ah! I'm gonna take the cake out for a minute,
I'm gonna put the butter in for a second,
it's gonna be fine.
I'm just gonna check on the cake while my butter's melting.
You know, I think it just needs more time.
It needs more time, it's still fully raw.
It just needs more time.
It's okay.
My confidence is waning.
Butter, adding the eggs to the butter.
Gonna add some corn starch, sugar,
some jalapenos for some heat, some salt.
Fresh corn, this is creamed corn.
It kind of looks like baby food at this stage but,
it's gonna get good.
Oh and some cheese, got some butter, paper towel.
Just gonna butter the insides of this ramekins
and I'm just gonna fill them with the corn
and a little cheese on top.
Okay, my corn pudding is ready to go.
Cake looks like it's ready, also to go, I mean, we'll see.
20 minutes, 30 minutes?
Oh god, moment of truth.
Well, it just, you know, it needs more time.
I think just for time sake, I'm gonna have Ryan finish
cooking this off with a second airfryer.
(lighthearted music)
I'm gonna do one at a time.
So next up, I'm going to do a no-cook barbecue sauce
for my ribs.
Typically you simmer barbecue sauce to get it
really intensified with flavor
but that's not an option so I'm gonna start
with some ketchup and some brown sugar
and some salt, black pepper, paprika and a little garlic
powder and then some Worcestershire sauce.
Wor-chest-we-sure.
Worsh-di-sure.
Worsh-di-sure sauce.
Some Worcestershire.
(lighthearted music)
Mm!
If all else fails, I've made some barbecue sauce.
I've got all the same ingredients for the dry rub
so I'm just gonna throw some of this together.
Salt, pepper, little brown sugar, some paprika,
some garlic powder, mix it together,
look at that, oh my god.
Two birds, one stone.
I'm just gonna wait for the corn pudding, put this aside.
We're moving right along.
Things are going, I'm going back up to a seven.
Two, one. (airfryer beeps)
(gasps)
It's beautiful!
Oh my god, it's, wow, it smells amazing.
It looks beautiful.
Oh my god.
Because I have two of these, I'm gonna save the second one
and I'm just gonna test this to make sure
that it's fully cooked inside.
It looks, oh.
No.
Oh no. (sobbing)
(lighthearted music)
Well, it's not cooked inside.
Why is this not working?
Maybe it just needs to go for longer.
(clanging)
(airfryer beeps)
Okay. (tapping)
Moving onto the ribs.
Obviously, this is not gonna fit in an airfryer
so I'm gonna just divide it up a bit
and I'll take some of this and just rubbing it over.
Ribs remind me of the Delaware County Fair.
It just reminds me of like summer, being a kid.
You have no cares in the world.
Are you gonna get another ticket to go on the scrambler?
That's all you have to worry about.
Not anymore kids.
My ribs are ready to go so as soon as my second
corn pudding comes out, I'm gonna pop the ribs in.
Well we just found out what's wrong with this,
which is I forgot to put heavy cream in it
so it's not gonna set.
My bad.
I'm gonna make another batch of corn pudding.
I'm also gonna put it into smaller ramekins
so that I can do two at a time.
It looks beautiful though so I think.
I've got high hopes.
Okay, so I've got a fresh batch of corn pudding batter.
I think the smaller sizes are gonna help them cook faster
and obviously the heavy cream is gonna ensure
that they actually set.
(lighthearted music)
Start. (airfryer beeps)
Okay, 15 seconds.
Just gonna do it.
Oh!
They're like little corn souffles.
They look amazing.
(gasps) Okay, okay, still, still raw.
It's still raw.
I honestly think it needs like five more minutes
and it's gonna go.
It's almost there.
Remember this morning when I was like, airfryer is so easy.
Yeah, but they're pretty simple.
I mean I know that's famous last words.
It was a mistake.
I made a mistake.
Ooh!
Okay they look beautiful.
(upbeat music)
It's bouncy but it springs back, it's not raw inside.
Looks good.
I think I can finally move on from the corn pudding saga.
I'm gonna move onto ribs.
It's rib time, my favorite time.
Let's start with these guys.
(airfryer beeps)
Cool.
This is smoking but (gasps) oh my god, they look insane.
Like insanely good, not bad.
I think this is a case where smoking is fine.
Obviously if it's billowing smoke, I'd be more concerned.
It's fine, it's fine.
So Ryan finished off the cake and let's take a look.
- All right, it's pretty perfect.
- Ooh!
Okay, moment of truth.
It's actually so pretty.
I mean it's tiny but it smells great, it looks so pretty.
I'm really happy this worked.
It was not looking good this morning.
(water splashing)
I'm gonna move on to my final course
which is actually the appetizer.
I'm gonna make shrimp po'boy sliders.
First I'm gonna start with the remoulade
which is basically like a mayo based sauce.
It's got some relish, some mustard, some hot sauce
and some lemon.
(lighthearted music)
Mmm!
You guys, I'm really nailing the no cook sauces
and I'm going to make a like spiced buttermilk mixture
that the shrimp can just like hang out in for a bit.
Some buttermilk then some salt, pepper,
I've got some paprika, oh wait.
I have paprika and cayenne.
I think this is cayenne.
Yep.
Holy (beep).
(lighthearted music)
Okay, great, so we've got some paprika.
Tiny bit of cayenne.
Um, the tip of my tongue is on fire
and some dried thyme.
Oh my god, it's really spicy.
It's really, really spicy.
Give it a good stir.
Adding the shrimp and can just let it get covered like that.
Wow, oh!
She's getting, she's getting crispy.
Got my no-cook barbecue sauce.
That side too.
The ribs have been basted.
Back in.
While that's going, I'm just gonna make my quick flour,
cornmeal batter for the shrimp.
Really just eyeballing this.
It's a lot of salt but it's okay,
and because the shrimp are soaking in the buttermilk,
it's gonna make sure that the cornmeal and flour
actually adheres to it so you get that crust.
I actually feel really good about the shrimp.
I know I keep saying that and it fails
but I legitimately think the shrimp are gonna be
easy and like cook in no time.
Um, okay, the ribs look great.
The verging on blackened but, they look great.
I think I just need to cut one to test it.
(lighthearted music)
Mm, it's not bad.
A little salty, which I personally like but that's fine,
that's totally fine. I feel really good about this.
I think we can move onto the shrimp.
I'm going to dip my buttermilk shrimp into the cornmeal.
Put it on here, fry it up.
It sounds like it's frying, it's like.
(buzzing)
That was a terrible impersonation.
Do you think it's ready?
Okay.
Uh.
It is raw still.
It looks disgusting.
So I think I need to try it for five minutes.
Maybe higher heat too.
This is not my meal, this is not my meal.
Confidence level is like a four.
Like a five, it's a five.
Five.
You guys.
I think the shrimp have betrayed me.
This looks really bad.
So shrimpy.
It's cooked.
(lighthearted music)
(beep)
Okay I'm gonna pivot.
Scratch the po'boy.
Gonna rinse these off, gonna put a little dry rub on it.
It's just gonna be a little spiced shrimp slider.
I've got some salt, got some pepper, got some paprika
and a tiny, tiny bit of cayenne.
Mix it up.
Pour it on my shrimpies.
One shrimp at a time.
Again.
I really, really, really want this to work.
I've had to redo every single thing today.
Like multiple times.
Shrimp's cooked.
Oh my god.
It's so salty.
Ah!
It's so salty!
It's kind of good but like.
Guys, I'm so sorry.
I am, I'm gonna wash the shrimp off again
and re-spice them, but I know the cook time
so it's gonna go really smoothly this time.
It's seasoned properly now so I'm gonna do
a bunch of shrimp at once, knock it out.
I know how much to do.
Start. (airfryer beeping)
I've got all my slider, not po'boy,
slider ingredients ready to go.
Shrimp is about to come out.
Beautiful, oh!
Okay, I'm gonna put some remoulade on both sides.
A little bit of the shredded romaine, a very big tomato
and then, two shrimp.
Nice! Slider, done!
My sliders are ready to go.
I'm gonna finish plating my entree.
I've got the ribs, the corn pudding.
I'm gonna top it with some scallions
and lastly I have the cherry torte.
Gonna just dust some powered sugar on it before serving
and then it's taste tester time.
We made it!
Woo!
This is my friend, Nichi.
- I'm Nichi.
- And she's gonna taste test my three course meal.
- And I am so excited.
- [Alexis] Okay, first course.
We've got spiced shrimp sliders.
- Oh wow!
I love anything in sandwich form so this is already a win.
- Amazing, I'm so sorry, this is so messed up.
- That tastes amazing though, holy crap.
That is such a juicy piece of shrimp in there.
- Yeah?
- I love that.
Oh my goodness.
- [Alexis] Okay, course number two.
- [Nichi] Yes.
- We've got ribs and corn pudding.
Have you had corn pudding before?
- No, I don't think I have actually.
- I've had it like twice, so.
- I'm not angry at that at all actually.
- I kinda like it.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It almost reminds me of like a macaroni and cheese texture
with like, you know, this meat here.
The like ribs--
- Totally, totally. - Just go straight in there?
- Go straight in.
They're not like fall off the bone.
- But the key to a good rib is the delicious flavor
and that's got delicious flavor.
That might be one of the best ribs that I've had like,
in a while.
You're kind of killing it.
- Oh my god.
Okay, so for dessert, we've got a cherry torte.
It's like a cherry cake.
- Okay, okay.
(lighthearted music)
- Mm! - Mm!
- Mm!
- I don't like cherry but this is really good.
Yeah, it's really surprising
that you get the actual fruit in there.
It's a very nice, like refreshing, you know?
I really love this, I like this.
You are the bomb dot com.
- Oh my god, thank you so much.
(laughs)
The most important question.
- Yes.
- What do you think I made this with?
- I can't believe all this came from one device.
I feel like it has to be something
that's actually meant to be cooked with.
I feel like you've had to have some kind of oven,
like a toaster oven.
Let's say a toaster oven.
- Toaster oven!
Great guess.
- Okay.
- All three of these were made in an airfryer.
- Okay.
- Makes sense right?
- Yeah, that makes sense.
- That makes sense, that makes sense.
- That makes sense.
You did freakin' awesome.
This is amazing, thank you for having me.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that,
you know like I said, I love a sandwich situation,
this is my favorite, I appreciate you guys,
thank you so much for feeding me.
(laughs) - I'll see you later.
You know, it's been a really long day.
This was really hard for me but Nichi really made it better.
She made me feel good about things.
I need to take this new found confidence
with Nichi's praise and take it into the next few days.
(upbeat music)