Nonna knowledge: Secret Italian recipes from Gino D’Acampo’s family

Inspired by his late mother, 15 bossy aunties and a nation of home-cooking nonnas, Gino D’Acampo shares the secret to making the very best version of much-loved Italian classics

Filling and flavoursome, this fragrant soup is a real winter warmer (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

There are many variations of fish soup in the South of Italy, but this has to be my favourite because the flavour of the red mullet makes it unique,” says Gino D’Acampo.

His recipe includes three types of seafood. “If you prefer, you can substitute the haddock with cod.”

Spicy fish soup with tomatoes and orange zest

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped

200ml white wine

600ml hot fish stock

400g can of chopped tomatoes

16 large raw prawns, completely peeled

300g skinless red mullet fillet, cut in 3cm chunks

300g skinless haddock fillet, cut in 3cm chunks

10 red cherry tomatoes, halved

4 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

1 unwaxed orange

Salt

Method:

1. Pour the oil into a medium-sized saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the chilli flakes and the onion and fry for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

2. Increase the heat to high and pour in the wine, then bring to the boil and let it bubble for 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Stir in the stock and canned tomatoes, season with 2 tsp salt and return to the boil once more. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, devein the prawns with the point of a knife, skewer or even a toothpick. The vein runs right along the back. Insert the point about 1cm down from the head of the prawn and pull it back up towards you. This will lift up the vein and you can pull it off with the knife or with your hand.

4. Add all the fish and the prawns to the saucepan, then stir very gently so you don’t break up the fish. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring very gently after about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and parsley and continue to simmer for 1 minute.

6. Remove from the heat and divide equally between 4 warmed bowls. Grate orange zest over each bowl and serve immediately.

One-pot roast chicken with pearl barley, white wine and peas

This hearty main dish is ideal for entertaining (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

“I always love recipes that can be made in one pot, as there is very little mess or washing up, and this one looks great,” says D’Acampo, who describes this as a “perfect one-pot dish, with vegetables, pulses and protein. It’s a good recipe to make if you are having guests over, as you can just leave it in the oven cooking for an hour while you socialise and have a few glasses of prosecco.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil

8 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, total weight about 1.5kg

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped

225g pearl barley

200ml white wine

4 rosemary sprigs

800ml hot chicken or vegetable stock

Juice of ½ lemon

150g frozen peas, defrosted

Bunch of parsley leaves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.

2. Pour the oil into a flameproof casserole dish and place over a high heat. Add the chicken, skin side up, and fry for 4 minutes. Season the skin with a large pinch of salt and pepper and turn the thighs over. Fry for a further 4 minutes until golden. Remove the thighs and place skin side up on a plate.

3. Put the carrots and onion into the casserole, sprinkle over 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and fry for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stir in the pearl barley for 1 minute, then pour in the wine. Stir and allow the alcohol to evaporate for about 1 minute. Add the rosemary and pour over the hot stock. Stir, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the dish from the heat and stir the barley. Place the chicken thighs on top of the barley, skin side up, and cook in the middle of the oven, uncovered, for 55 minutes.

5. Take the dish out of the oven, remove the chicken thighs and place on a plate. Remove and discard the rosemary. Pour the lemon juice and peas into the barley mixture and stir well. Check for seasoning.

6. Place the chicken back on top of the barley and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes.

7. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve in the middle of the table for everyone to tuck in.

Biscoff and espresso cheesecake

Indulge in a sweet and delicious coffee-flavoured dessert (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

“This has to be one of my wife’s favourite desserts of all time,” says D’Acampo. “She is a huge cheesecake lover and I often catch her dunking one of these biscuits in her coffee, so I decided to come up with something that would combine them both and it was a great success.”

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

250g Lotus Biscoff biscuits, plus 3 biscuits to decorate

100g salted butter, melted

300ml double cream

80g icing sugar

500g full-fat cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla extract

20ml strong espresso coffee

10ml coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

150g Biscoff spread

For the coffee syrup:

50ml strong espresso coffee

50ml coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

50ml caster sugar

Method:

1. Crush the biscuits into crumbs by either using a food processor or putting them into a sealed food bag and, using a cooking hammer or rolling pin, smashing them until you get crumbs. Tip them into a medium-sized bowl with the melted butter and, using a flexible spatula, mix well, ensuring the butter has coated all the crumbs.

2. Pour into a loose-based cake tin – I used a deep tin with a diameter of 24cm and a depth of 6cm – and press down firmly over the base and sides, ensuring the sides are even, as that is the part you will see when the cheesecake is finished. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

3. Pour the cream and icing sugar into a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form.

4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and use a spatula to mix.

5. Pour half the cream cheese filling into another large bowl. Add the coffee and liqueur to one bowl and use a spatula to mix gently until smooth in colour. Take out the biscuit base from the freezer and pour over the coffee cream mixture. Spread evenly using a spatula and return to the freezer for 10 minutes.

6. Place the Biscoff spread into the remaining cream cheese mixture and use a spatula to mix well, again until smooth in colour. Remove the biscuit base from the freezer and gently spread on top of the coffee cream mixture, creating a 2-layer cheesecake. The layers are very similar in colour, but the balance of flavours is perfect. Smooth the top and place in the fridge for at least 5 hours, allowing the cheesecake to set.

7. To make the syrup, pour all the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. When bubbling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 6 minutes, creating a thick runny syrup, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. You can test it is ready by making sure it coats the back of a metal spoon. Pour into a small jug and allow to cool completely.

8. When ready to serve the cheesecake, drizzle over the coffee syrup and arrange 3 biscuits standing up in the centre. This will be OK to eat for 3 days if kept, covered, in the fridge…if it lasts that long.

Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make By Gino D’Acampo is published by Bloomsbury, priced £25. Photography by Haarala Hamilton.