Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Juicy and flavorful shrimp cooked quickly in the air fryer with lemon and pepper. An easy and healthy recipe perfect for a quick dinner.
Steps
- 1
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F).
- 2
Place shrimp in a Ziploc bag with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Shake gently to coat evenly.
- 3
Arrange shrimp in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you can use perforated parchment paper).
- 4
Cook for about 8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Shrimp are done when pink and slightly opaque.
- 5
Remove shrimp from the air fryer and serve immediately.
Shopping list
450g medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt
Recipe story
In the hot ports of the Mediterranean Sea, fishermen discovered that a splash of lemon and freshly ground black pepper turned shrimp into a royal delicacy. Legend has it that at the court of Louis XIV, these shrimp were served on beds of ice, and the Sun King savored them with his fingers. Over the centuries, the recipe was perfected by chefs in southern France and Italy, becoming a symbol of coastal cuisine.
Ingredient Secrets
Black pepper
Known as 'black gold' in antiquity, pepper was so valuable that it served as currency and tribute. In the Middle Ages, Venetian merchants controlled the pepper trade, and individual peppercorns were often counted. Legend has it that when Alaric, king of the Visigoths, demanded tribute from Rome, he included 3,000 pounds of pepper.
Sea salt
Sea salt, extracted from ocean waters by evaporation, was one of the most precious goods of antiquity, used both as food and as currency. In ancient Rome, soldiers were paid with salt, which is the origin of the word 'salary'. Salt roads connected entire civilizations, and in the Middle Ages, salt was so valuable it was called 'white gold'.
Olive oil
Originating in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil was already produced in ancient Crete 5,000 years ago. In ancient Greece, it was considered a gift from Athena and used in lamps, cosmetics, and religious ceremonies. The Romans spread it throughout the empire, and in the Middle Ages, monasteries preserved the tradition of its production.
Lemon
The lemon is an ancient hybrid between citron and bitter orange, likely originating in northern India or China. In the Middle Ages, lemons were so valuable that they were given as gifts to kings. Fun fact: during the Gold Rush, British sailors were given lemons to prevent scurvy, leading to the nickname 'limey'.
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