Set up a dredging station. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Place the beaten egg whites in a second shallow dish. Finally, place the ground almonds, lemon zest, dried thyme and salt in a third shallow dish.

Pre-heat the air fryer to 400ºF.

Coat the fish fillets one at a time by first coating in flour. Shake off any excess flour and then dip the fish into the egg white, coating completely. Immediately press the fish into the almond-lemon mixture. Set the coated fish fillets aside.

Spray the coated fish fillets with oil and then transfer them to the air fryer basket. You might have to overlap the fillets a little if you have a smaller air fryer. Just make sure you overlap the thin edges of the tilapia. Air-fry at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping the fish over halfway through the cooking process. The crust on top should be nice and toasty and the fish should feel firm to the touch.

Optional: To make a simple lemon cream sauce, pre-heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of butter, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 smashed garlic clove and cook for a few minutes until the garlic clove just starts to brown on the edges. Add ¼ cup of white wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add ½ cup of heavy cream and return the sauce to a boil. Simmer for a minute and remove the saucepan from the heat. Season the sauce to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir in a little lemon zest and chopped thyme and serve.