Air-Fryer Portuguese Piri-Piri Prawn Trays

AF-200 Crew Recipe

Air-Fryer Portuguese Piri-Piri Prawn Trays

The Grand Tour leaves the rolling green hills of Ireland behind and follows the Atlantic south until colourful fishing boats, whitewashed villages and sun-so.

Air-Fryer Portuguese Piri-Piri Prawn Trays

The Grand Tour Story

The Grand Tour leaves the rolling green hills of Ireland behind and follows the Atlantic south until colourful

fishing boats, whitewashed villages and sun-soaked harbours appear once again. Portugal greets us with sea air,

charcoal smoke and the unmistakable aroma of garlic drifting from tiny seafood restaurants along the coast.

Welcome to the Algarve.

We arrive just as the day's catch is being unloaded. Outside a tiny marisqueira, enormous king prawns are sizzling

over open coals while cooks brush them with fiery piri-piri butter that crackles the moment it touches the shell.

Our guide, João, smiles while turning another batch.

"People think piri-piri is about burning your mouth."

He shakes his head.

"It's about waking it up."

One tray later, we understood exactly what he meant.

Air-Fryer Portuguese Piri-Piri Prawn Trays preparation stage

You’ll Need


For the Prawns
400g raw king prawns, peeled (tails on if preferred)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Piri-Piri Butter
40g butter, melted

2 tbsp piri-piri sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon zest

To Finish
Fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges

Optional but dangerous
Portuguese fries
Crusty bread
Garlic aioli
Cold Portuguese lager

Method

Preheat your air fryer to 200°C.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, oregano, sea salt and

black pepper.

Add the prawns and coat thoroughly. Leave to marinate for 15–20 minutes if possible.

Arrange the prawns in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Air fry for 7–9 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the prawns are pink, juicy and lightly caramelised

around the edges.

Meanwhile, whisk together the melted butter, piri-piri sauce, honey and lemon zest.

Brush the prawns generously with the piri-piri butter during the final 2 minutes of cooking.

Return to the air fryer until the butter becomes glossy and lightly caramelised.

Scatter over fresh parsley and serve immediately with plenty of lemon wedges.

Add fries, crusty bread or garlic aioli if using.

Lad Tip: João says prawns don't need much persuasion. The second they curl into tight little circles, you've gone too far. Keep them just cooked, let the garlic and piri-piri butter do the talking, and use plenty of bread to mop up every drop left in the tray. That's the Algarve way.

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