Air-Fryer Lemon-Pepper Salmon

Salmon is the dish that taught a generation of home cooks they could, in fact, cook fish. It's forgiving — fattier than white fish, harder to overcook, doesn't fall apart when you flip it, doesn't need oil because it brings its own. And lemon-pepper seasoning is the laziest possible spice rub: pre-mixed, salt-balanced, citrus-forward, you don't need a second thing.

The photo shows two fillets on a wood cutting board, heavy with seasoning — the pebbled yellow-and-black crust is what you're going for. Lemon zest and cracked black pepper are the two ingredients; everything else (salt, herbs) is supporting. Don't use the lemon pepper from a five-year- old jar. The lemon oil goes flat. Buy a fresh container or, better, make it: zest two lemons over a tablespoon of cracked pepper plus a teaspoon of kosher salt, let it dry on the counter for an hour, store in a jar. Better than any store-bought one.

The salmon cooks at 400°F for about eight minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet. The center finishes at 125°F for medium (still translucent), 135°F for medium-well (just barely flake), 145°F for well (fully opaque, slightly dry). I pull at 125°F and let the carryover heat finish it.