Recipes — barramundi

While this simple yet stunning dish makes the perfect weeknight dinner à deux, it also shines when scaled up for a group. Plated straight from your oven like intimately wrapped packages, Barramundi in Parchment with Lemons, Dates and Toasted Almonds imparts the gift of hospitality shared throughout middle eastern cultures—and brings it home to your table.

Prep Time

    •    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    •    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

    •    1 whole lemon
    •    2 tbsps olive oil
    •    6 ounces baby spinach
    •    2 x 6 oz barramundi fillets
    •    4 medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
    •    1 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
    •    1/4 cup unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
    •    1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
   
   
2. Dry the barramundi fillets with a paper towel and sprinkle each piece generously with salt and pepper. Set aside. Zest the entire lemon and then cut half of the lemon into 4-5 thin slices. Juice the remaining half of the lemon into a small bowl and set aside.
   
   
3. Lay two large pieces of parchment paper (about 12″ x 12″) side by side. Divide the sliced shallots and baby spinach between each piece of parchment, and sprinkle the spinach and shallots with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the barramundi fillets on top of the spinach and shallots, and top each fillet with the thin lemon slices. Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the fillets. One sheet at a time, close the parchment paper packets: bring two opposite sides of the paper together and fold them together several times to create a tight seal. Then fold up each end of the paper to create a tight seal on all sides. It’s fine if the seals loosen slightly in this process.
   
   
4. Place the parchment paper packets on a large baking sheet and bake the barramundi on the middle rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flakes easily.
   
   
5. While the fish is cooking, bring a small skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and once hot add the chopped almonds. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the dates and cook until warmed through, stirring regularly, about an additional 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, or to taste.
   
   
6. Open the barramundi packets and transfer the fish, spinach, shallots, and lemon slices to two plates. Top each piece of barramundi with the date-almond mixture and serve immediately.

This great family recipe is thanks to The Better Fish Recipes at https://www.thebetterfish.com/recipe/barramundi-in-parchment-with-lemons-dates-and-toasted-almonds/

This fresh and tangy coleslaw tastes beautiful with simple pan-fried fish, but would work equally well with chicken or grilled steak.

Prep Time

    •    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    •    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    1 large carrot
    •    1 tbsp lime juice
    •    2 tsps fish sauce
    •    2 tsps caster sugar
    •    1 tbsp vegetable oil
    •    1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
    •    1/4 cup coriander leaves
    •    1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
    •    4 x 150g barramundi fillets
    •    1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
    •    150g snow peas, trimmed, thinly sliced
    •    1 long red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
    •    1/2 small wombok (Chinese cabbage), trimmed, shredded

Method

1. Peel long ribbons form carrot using a vegetable peeler. Place carrot, wombok, snow peas, onion, mint and coriander in a large bowl.
2. Combine chilli, lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add to salad and gently toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season fish and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Serve fish with Asian coleslaw.

This great family recipe is thanks to Taste Recipes at https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/pan-fried-barramundi-asian-coleslaw/b0dd5ae2-f193-43bb-a786-13938a817b44

Fish cakes are something we should all know how make well. Done properly, they're a winner every time. These fish cakes are crunchy on the outside with a soft centre filled with fragrance and flavour. The key is all in the basics – using quality ingredients, poaching the fish in well-seasoned water, and frying the cakes for long enough to make them crispy. The best fish to use is flathead, barramundi, mulloway, snapper or bream.

Prep Time

    •    Prep and cook time: 1 hour
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

    •    1L water
    •    200g flour
    •    1 red onion
    •    4 garlic cloves
    •    2 tbsps olive oil
    •    5 eggs whisked
    •    salt and pepper
    •    500ml white wine
    •    oil for shallow frying
    •    600g quality breadcrumbs
    •    450g white barramundi fish
    •    50g cornichons, finely diced
    •    1 bunch dill, roughly chopped
    •    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    •    ¼ bunch parsley, finely chopped
    •    ½ bunch green onions, finely sliced
    •    1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
    •    400g cooked chat potatoes, cut into 1cm pieces

Method

1. Cut the fish into strips. Add the water to a large saucepan and salt well – it should taste like the sea. Add the wine, half the red onion and one garlic clove and bring to a simmer. Add the fish and take the pan off the heat. Leave the fish to poach for five minutes, then remove, drain and add to a large mixing bowl.
   
   
2. Chop the remaining half onion and garlic cloves finely. Add the olive oil to a medium-sized saucepan on a high heat, cook the onion, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the potato, remove from heat and transfer to the mixing bowl. Add the green onions, dill, fish, cornichons and parsley. Mix well, breaking the fish up, and season. Shape into eight equal-sized discs, about 8cm in diameter and 4cm thick.
   
   
3. Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate trays or bowls. Season the flour well with salt and pepper, dust the fish cakes evenly on all sides in the flour, cover in egg mix and roll in the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray or plate ready for frying.
   
   
4. Preheat oven to 180C. In the largest frying pan you have, add enough oil for shallow frying and on a high heat bring the oil to almost smoking point. Add the fish cakes, fry for a few minutes until the bottoms are golden then turn and fry the other other side until golden. Put on a baking tray and bake in the oven for five minutes. Serve immediately (optional with beurre blanc).

TIP: When crumbing the fish cakes, work quickly, keeping one hand dry and one wet – left for the flour and breadcrumbs, right for the egg.

This great family recipe is thanks to Good Food Recipes at https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/fish-cakes-20170531-gwhs6y

Prep Time

    •    Prep and cook time: 30 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

    •    5 cloves garlic
    •    2 tbsps sea salt
    •    500ml vegetable oil
    •    1 tbsp black pepper
    •    1 knob fresh turmeric
    •    4-5 coriander roots, washed and scraped
    •    1 whole barramundi (about 400g), cleaned and scaled

Nam pla prik dressing:

    •    2 tbsps lime juice
    •    4 tbsps fish sauce
    •    2 eschalots, finely sliced
    •    3 small red chillies, finely chopped

Method

1. Combine turmeric, garlic, pepper, coriander roots and salt in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste.
   
   
2. Spread over both sides of the barramundi and rest for 10 minutes.
   
   
3. Heat enough oil in a wok to cover fish and cook over medium heat until skin is crisp and barramundi is cooked on both sides.
   
   
4. Combine dressing ingredients.
   
   
5. Serve fish with nam pla prik dressing.

This great family recipe is thanks to Good Food Recipes at https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/turmeric-fish-with-nam-pla-prik-20111018-29wnq

Zesty spiced barramundi is the perfect partner for a salad of roasted sweet potato and kale, marinated in a creamy avocado and citrus dressing to soften the leaves.

Prep Time

    •    Prep and cook time: 45 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

    •    1 lime
    •    pepper
    •    1 avocado
    •    1 clementine
    •    1 bunch kale
    •    1 clove garlic
    •    2 tbsps pepitas
    •    2 sweet potatoes
    •    2 skin-on barramundi fillets
    •    1 tbsp Mexican spice blend (ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin & dried Mexican oregano)

Method

1. Prepare & roast the sweet potatoes: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces. Place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and half the spice blend; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast, flipping halfway through, 20 to 22 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.
   
   
2. Prepare the remaining ingredients: While the sweet potatoes roast, quarter the lime. Pit, peel, and halve the avocado. Thinly slice 1 half; place in a bowl and top with the juice of 1 lime wedge to prevent browning. Season with salt and pepper. Place the remaining half in a large bowl and top with the juice of the remaining lime wedges; using a fork, mask until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Peel and finely chop the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Using a peeler, remove the rind of the clementine, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Halve the clementine; squeeze the juice into a bowl, straining out any seeds. Remove and discard the stems of the kale; thinly slice the leaves. Cut out and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the pepper; finely chop. Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling.
   
   
3. Make the dressing & marinate the kale: To the bowl of mashed avocado, add the clementine juice, clementine zest, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, as much of the garlic paste as you'd like, and as much of the chopped pepper as you like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Whisk to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sliced kale; stir to thoroughly coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
4. Toast the pepitas: While the kale marinates, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepitas; season with salt and pepper. Toast, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. (Be careful, as the pepitas may pop as they toast.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt. Wipe out the pan.
   
   
5. Cook the fish: Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt, pepper, and the remaining spice blend. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin side down; cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is slightly browned and crispy. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Turn off the heat.
   
   
6. Make the salad & serve your dish: Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the bowl of marinated kale; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the salad with the cooked fish fillets and sliced avocado. Garnish with the toasted pepitas. Enjoy!

This great family recipe is thanks to Blue Apron Recipes at https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/mexican-spiced-barramundi-with-kale-sweet-potato-avocado-salad