---
title: "AirFryday: Fish ratatouille in your air fryer"
description: "From Louisa Holst’s new 30-Minute South African Air-Fryer Cookbook, here’s what she describes as a fabulous Mediterranean-inspired recipe that’s quick, easy and healthy too."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "WHAT’S COOKING"
author: "TGIFood Contributors"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tgifood-contributors/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-31-airfryday-fish-ratatouille-in-your-air-fryer/"
published: "2025-10-31T12:30:29"
updated: "2025-10-27T10:19:42"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 363
---

# AirFryday: Fish ratatouille in your air fryer

> From Louisa Holst’s new 30-Minute South African Air-Fryer Cookbook, here’s what she describes as a fabulous Mediterranean-inspired recipe that’s quick, easy and healthy too.

By TGIFood Contributors · Published 31 October 2025, 14:30 SAST · Updated 27 October 2025, 12:19 SAST

## Content

Louisa Holst has turned out several highly popular air fryer cookbooks during the last few years. As the title makes clear, her latest transforms everyday staples — sausage, chicken, fish, mince, steak, chops, fruits and vegetables — into meals that take 30 minutes or less to cook.

Her recipes in the new book include biryani chicken salad, hake and jalapeño bake, biltong-spiced ostrich skewers, shisanyama steak, curried frikkadels, chops with roasted chakalaka and lots more — all with a tasty local twist.

There are also tempting fruit-based desserts that, she says, “will have you sweet-talked into seconds”. They’re quick, easy, and proudly South African.

*The book is also available in Afrikaans.*

*Preparation time: 15 minutes*

*Cooking time: 25 minutes*

*Air-fryer temperature: 200°C*

**Ingredients**

1 red sweet pepper, seeded and diced

4 courgettes, diced

1 medium-sized brinjal, cut into small cubes

50 ml olive oil

1 x 410g tin Italian-style tomatoes

4 frozen hake medallions or steaks, thawed

5ml dried Italian herbs

Fresh rosemary or basil and grated Parmesan cheese

(optional)

Cooked rice or pasta, to serve

**Method**

1 Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Put the sweet pepper, courgette and brinjal pieces into a bowl and add three-quarters of the olive oil. Toss well to coat.

2 Place the mixture into the air-fryer basket. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

3 Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish that will fit into the air fryer. Stir in the Italian tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 Place the fish pieces on top of the vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with the Italian herbs. Cook for 15-18 minutes or until the fish has cooked through and flakes easily. Add the fresh herbs and sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve hot with rice or pasta. **DM**

*Louisa Holst has been a food consultant, recipe developer and food editor for 20 years. She is passionate about food and loves to discover new flavours and create delicious, easy-to-cook, family friendly recipes. In 2023 she won the South African Book Award for Non-fiction for her bestselling The South African Air Fryer Cookbook.*