Creative Way to Cook Barramundi
Pan-roasted barramundi with sweet-and-sour radicchio, raisins, and pine nuts
If there’s one fish that is universally recognised as quintessentially Australian, it’s barramundi. You’ll find it littered throughout almost every menu at humble pubs through to higher-end restaurants. It’s one fish we can never remove from the menu at Manta, as it outsells everything else by nearly two to one.
It’s a fish that is so popular for a few reasons — mostly good marketing — but also because it’s pretty hard to overcook. This is why you’ll find it on many large-scale catering menus, such as weddings. Even when truly overcooked, it will not dry out like many other species, making it an ideal fish for someone with less experience to cook at home and achieve good results.
The dish is quite Italian in its inspiration, utilising the sweet, sour, and bitter notes of the caramelised radicchio, with tea-soaked raisins, pine nuts, and rainbow chard providing nice accents. At the restaurant we make an emulsion of lemon to go with it and a bright green herb oil, but it’s just as good with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the table and a generous amount of olive oil to finish.
This recipe is quite simple in that everything can be prepared well in advance, meaning it only takes as long as it takes to cook the fish to throw it together for a nice dinner. You will need a large fry pan with a heavy base that is capable of going into the oven. Take care not to overcrowd the pan, any more than four pieces into a large frying pan is pushing the limits as far as getting a crispy skin goes.
Tea-soaked raisins:
50g raisins
250ml Earl Grey tea
Pour the hot tea over the raisins and leave overnight to allow the raisins to plump up.
Caramelised radicchio:
250g sugar
75ml sherry vinegar
1 small head of radicchio, cut into 4 wedges
Make a dark caramel with the sugar in a hot pan, taking care to ensure it doesn’t burn but turns a deep golden. When it starts to smoke a little, add the vinegar in a few small splashes until it is incorporated. Add the radicchio to the pan and season generously with salt. Allow to braise for a few minutes, turning a few times, until the radicchio is cooked.
If you are preparing this step in advance, store in the cooking liquid until ready to use. If not, keep warm while you cook the fish.
To Finish:
4 x portions barramundi, skin on
¼ bunch rainbow chard or silverbeet, sliced semi-finely
30g toasted pine nuts
Lemon wedges, to serve
Good quality extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Flake salt, as needed
Preheat the oven to 240°C.
Season the skin of the barramundi with salt for at least 5 minutes before cooking. Do not pat the skin dry — believe it or not, this is one of the keys to getting a consistently crispy skin.
Add a little vegetable oil to the pan and get it smoking hot. Add the barramundi to the pan, taking care not to overcrowd it and lose too much heat. This will hinder you achieving the really crispy skin you’re wanting.
The fish will naturally want to curl up, let it be for thirty seconds or so, before pressing down gently with a spatula to ensure the skin is in contact with the pan. After this time, the skin should stay flat.
Cook for a minute over high heat before placing the pan directly in the preheated oven. Depending on your oven and the size/thickness of your portions, it should take between 6-10 minutes. The best way to tell if it’s done is using a cake tester, believe it or not. Insert it into the fish, and if you can feel a slight bit of resistance at the very centre of the fish, it is done, as the fish will continue to finish cooking via the residual heat.
While the fish is cooking, reheat the radicchio in a pot, and heat a small frying pan with a little olive oil. Sauté the chard briefly, adding in the raisins and pine nuts at the end to just warm through. Season with salt and add to each plate. Add the warmed radicchio to the plate, and top with the fish. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with the lemon cheek.