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Gino D'Acampo
Photo credit: Haarala Hamilton
Born into a large family in Napoli, Gino's love of cooking developed from a young age when he was taught to cook by his mother and, at the age of 11, started working at his grandfather's restaurant. After training at the Luigi de Medici Catering college, Gino came to work in London and was soon discovered as a TV talent.
I thought about buying an air fryer for a long time before I actually did, in fact for around a decade. I kept hearing so many good things about them, but I must admit it took a while for me to convince myself, mostly because I’d never really got my head around them. I just had a lot of questions going round in my mind. What are air fryers? Are they necessary? Or are they just another kitchen gadget that will gather dust in the cupboard?
Then, one day, I finally bought one. I figured that I couldn’t be against air fryers without at least trying them, though I was sure I’d give mine away after a week or two.
Since then, I’ve bought myself another two and I am converted. I just love them. They’re simple to use, efficient and environmentally friendly.
In my opinion, air fryers are a must-have: they make your life easier in the kitchen while still enabling you to create fantastic food for your friends and family. The best thing of all is that Italian food cooks beautifully in an air fryer, which means a very happy Gino!
"I just love air fryers. They're simple to use, efficient and environmentally friendly. They make your life easier in the kitchen while still enabling you to create fantastic food for your friends and family. The best thing of all is that Italian food cooks beautifully in an air fryer, which means a very happy Gino!"
You can buy air fryers anywhere these days, even my local butcher sells them. When they first hit the shops, they were marketed as the perfect, healthier way to get the same results as deep-frying, but, these days, we know they can do so much more than that.
An air fryer works like a small fan oven, with temperatures ranging up to about 240°C, depending on the model you choose. Hot air circulates really fast around the air fryer basket and you need to use very little oil on the food, which makes it the ideal way to cook any dishes and ingredients that require dry heat. They’re great at cooking burgers, chicken, steaks and sausages, of course, but they also give particularly good results for salmon and cod, or sardines and anchovies, or even shellfish such as prawns or scallops. Air fryers are perfect at cooking vegetables, too, such as courgettes, fennel, potatoes, aubergines or pumpkin. Pretty much everything goes in there. I love them so much, I’ve even designed and produced my own brand of air fryers!
Before you start cooking in an air fryer, there are a few things you need to know to get the best out of it, so turn the page for what I have learned.
Known for his authentic recipes and cheeky personality, and with a string of restaurants across the country to his name, Gino has risen through the ranks to become Britain's best-loved Italian chef. He lives in London and Sardinia with his wife and three children.
Discover the delicious, time saving and cost-effective way to cook Italian classics in the air fryer
With fresh takes on Gino's iconic Italian recipes such as Classic Lasagne and Roman-Style Pizza, plus new air fryer favourites such as Carbonara Potatoes and Devilled Chicken Wings, this is the ULTIMATE ITALIAN AIR FRYER BOOK.
ginodacampo.com / @iamginodacampo