Gino’s Air Fryer Cookbook – I know there have been a few books on how best to use your air fryer, but this latest one is rather special. Gino’s Air Fryer Cookbook is by Gino D’Acampo and it focuses on Italian recipes the air fryer way. Published just a week or so ago by Bloomsbury at £22 for a hardback, it’s packed with a host of ideas and inspiration to make preparing Italian food much easier, more cost efficiently, but tasting just as delicious. Gino is one of the UK’s best loved chefs and well known to viewers of ITV’s This Morning. He also stars in the hilarious programmes with Gordon Ramsay and Fred Siriex. In the book Gino includes his top hacks as well as personal family stories linked to his recipes. There’s a range of sections including Classic Italian; Family Favourites; Ready in 20 and also The Med Diet (under 500 calories). It really is a ‘bellisimo’ book and will make an excellent present for anyone who loves Italian food and has invested in an air fryer.
Here are a few recipes to show you its simplicity.
Gnocchi in pancetta, tomato and parmesan sauce
(Gnocchi in salsa di pomodoro con pancetta e parmigiano)
Serves 4
“This is my daughter Mia’s favourite way to cook and eat gnocchi and she could make this recipe all by herself when she was just 10 years old, with my supervision of course. Please make sure you buy the best-quality gnocchi you can afford, to get the best results. As soon as they all float to the surface of the boiling water, they are ready to drain. You can substitute the pancetta with chopped courgettes, and the Parmesan with a vegetarian hard cheese, if you prefer.”
150g pancetta lardons
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 × 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
10 basil leaves
80g finely grated Parmesan cheese
800g good-quality shop- bought potato gnocchi
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the air fryer to 170°C for 3 minutes.
Put the pancetta in the air fryer drawer and cook for 7 minutes until crispy, stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in all the chopped tomatoes and add the tomato purée, basil, half the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well using a wooden spoon, increase the air fryer temperature to 190°C and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
In a large saucepan, bring 3 litres water to the boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions, then drain, tip the gnocchi into the air fryer drawer over the sauce and mix gently but well. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and cook for 10 minutes. Plate up and serve immediately.
Devilled chicken wings with smoked paprika and honey
Ali di pollo alla diavola caramellizzate al miele
Serves 4
1kg chicken wings 75g honey
1–3 tablespoons Calabrian chilli paste from a jar, or jarred chopped chillies, to taste
1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder 40g rice flour, or cornflour
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
50g ’nduja from a jar
150g mascarpone, or
Dolcelatte
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
My boys Luciano and Rocco absolutely love this, especially when they are watching a film and want easy finger food. The Calabrian chilli paste gives a sweet, smoky and very spicy flavour, and, together with the mascarpone which cools that down, the flavours are really a match made in heaven. You can make the wings as spicy as you like by simply adding more chilli or ‘nduja, or you can substitute the honey with maple syrup, or the mascarpone with cream cheese, if you like.
Place the chicken wings in a colander, mix in 1 teaspoon salt and let the skin dry out for 15 minutes while you get everything else ready.
To make the marinade, pour the honey into a large bowl and add the chilli paste or chopped chillies, vinegar, tomato purée and oil. Mix using a whisk, then set aside.
Preheat the air fryer to 190°C for 3 minutes.
In another large bowl, mix the garlic powder, flour, paprika and
½ teaspoon pepper, add the chicken wings and toss to get them evenly coated. Pour about three-quarters of the honey marinade over the chicken and mix well. Transfer to the air fryer fitted with the basket insert and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the wings and cook for a further 8 minutes until sticky and cooked through.
Meanwhile mix the ‘nduja with the remaining marinade. Drizzle the sauce mixture on top of the wings and cook for a final 1–2 minutes to melt. Plate up, dot with the mascarpone or Dolcelatte and serve with an ice-cold beer or a glass of full-bodied red wine.
Perfect air fryer chocolate fondants
(Tortini caldi ripieni di cioccolato)
Serves 4
“This recipe for little chocolate delights is dedicated to my son Rocco, as it’s his favourite dessert of all time. For all you chocolate lovers out there, it is a must-try. These are fantastic if you are entertaining guests and want to impress, as you can get them ready and cook when needed. They will happily sit at room temperature for two hours, waiting for a hot dessert to order… You’re welcome!”
100g butter, cubed, plus more for the moulds
Cocoa powder, to dust 125g dark chocolate, finely chopped
180g caster sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 eggs
90g plain flour
Vanilla ice cream, double cream or mascarpone, to serve
Grease 4 × 175ml mini pudding moulds with butter and dust with cocoa powder, tipping away any excess.
Place a saucepan of water over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place a heatproof bowl on top, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water, then gently melt the chocolate and cubed butter together until smooth (you can also melt them in a microwave if you prefer). Use a plastic spatula to stir and combine.
Take off the heat, stir in the sugar and salt and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs one by one with an electric whisk on a medium-low speed. Mix in the flour on a low speed until smooth.
Equally pour the chocolate mix into the prepared moulds. They can stand at room temperature for 2 hours at this stage.
Preheat the air fryer to 170°C for 3 minutes.
Place the fondants in the air fryer and bake for 11 minutes. Remove and leave to stand for 2 minutes.
Carefully run a knife around the edges to loosen, then turn out onto dessert plates. Serve with a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream, double cream – or my personal favourite – mascarpone.
Extracted from Gino’s Air Fryer Cookbook: Italian Classics Made Easy by Gino D’Acampo. Published by Bloomsbury on 24th October (Hardback £22)
Photography credit: Haarala Hamilton.
The Seasoned Gastronome