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Barramundi with lemon myrtle butter
Crisp-skinned pan-fried barramundi with a native lemon myrtle butter
Barramundi is the prize fish of Australia's tropical north, caught in the rivers and estuaries of the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland and served everywhere from Darwin's waterfront to Brisbane pubs. Its firm, sweet white flesh is best cooked simply, skin side down until crisp, then topped with a butter flavoured with lemon myrtle, a native rainforest leaf that tastes like lemon and lemongrass together. Eat it with a green salad, new potatoes or chips on a warm evening. The mistake to avoid is moving the fillets too soon: the skin tears and sticks; leave them until they release by themselves. Chef's tip: dry the skin very well with kitchen paper and salt it just before cooking, never earlier, or it draws out moisture and won't crisp.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the lemon myrtle butter
- 2 ⅛ oz buttersoftened
- 1 tsp ground dried lemon myrtleor 1 tsp finely grated lemongrass plus extra lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 clove garlicsmall, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh parsleyfinely chopped
For the fish
- 4 barramundi fillets, skin onabout 160 g each
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mash 2 ⅛ oz butter with 1 tsp ground dried lemon myrtle, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 clove garlic and 1 tbsp fresh parsley. Keep it at room temperature if cooking soon, or roll it in baking paper and chill; it keeps in the fridge for a week.
Step 2: Pat 4 barramundi fillets, skin on completely dry with kitchen paper. Make 3 shallow cuts through the skin of each fillet so it doesn't curl, then sprinkle the skin with ¾ tsp sea salt.
Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the fillets in skin side down and press each one flat with a spatula for 30 seconds.
1 minStep 4: Cook without moving for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden and the flesh has turned white about three quarters of the way up the sides.
5 minStep 5: Turn the fillets and cook for 1–2 minutes more. The fish is done when the thickest part is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork (145°F).
2 minStep 6: Put the fish on warm plates skin side up, add a spoon of the lemon myrtle butter on top to melt and serve with 4 lemon wedges. Cooked fish keeps in the fridge for 1 day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does barramundi with lemon myrtle butter take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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