Despite it’s name being of Aboriginal origin, over 60% of the barramundi eaten in Australia is imported. So we’re encouraging everyone to ask their store / restaurant / fish monger for Australian produced barra!
We’re so lucky to have the Daintree Saltwater Barramundi farm right here on our doorstep, supplying our restaurant with fresh barramundi for our menus. There are so many different ways to prep and serve this beautiful fish, but for National Barramundi Day – Head Chef Goran Zonai is presenting a panfried fillet of barramundi on a taro fondant with a chilli mud crab sauce and young coconut sambal. Doesn’t get more Tropical North Queensland that that!
We’d love for you to give it a go at home for your next dinner party. Don’t forget to tag us in your creations @salsaportdouglas
Happy Cooking!
Ingredients:
Barramundi:
- 4x180g barramundi fillet
- 50ml vegetable oil
- Sea salt flakes & freshly ground pepper
- 2 bunches of broccolini
Chili mudcrab sauce:
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 50g banana shallot thinly sliced
- 20 g ginger, julienned
- 15 g garlic, thinly sliced
- 15 g chilli long red
- 3 kafir lime leaves , cruched
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 120 g heirloom tomatoes , halved
- 30 g light palm sugar /white sugar
- 30 ml fish sauce
- 20 ml light soy
- 100 g picked mud crab meat
Taro fondants:
- 1 kg taro, peeled and cut into 4 x 2.5- 3 cm disks
- 80 g butter
- 60 ml fish stock /water
- Pinch of sea salt
Young coconut sambal:
- 100 g young coconut meat, thinly sliced
- 50 g cucumber julienned
- 10 g chilli long red, as thinly as possible julienned
- 10 ml sweet chilli sauce
- 15 ml lime jiuice
- 10 ml fish sauce
- 4 sprigs coriander
Method
For the fondant taro, peel and portion fresh taro into small discs approximate 10cm wide and 2cm high. Once sliced, place taro discs into vacpac bags with butter, water and salt. Steam for approximately 35 mins until taro is soft to touch, but does not break.
Before serving heat butter in frying pan and cook fondants to crispy golden colour.
For the mud crab sauce, heat oil in a pot and sauté the shallot, chilli, ginger, garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Add the crushed and heirloom tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce and simmer for about 4 minutes. At last add the mud crab neat and simmer for another minute.
For the young coconut sambal, combine all ingredients and mix well.
For the barramundi, season the fillets on both sides. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan.
Cook the fish about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until well done.
For the broccolini, bring a pot with water to boil, and cook for about a minute, just before serving.
To serve, spoon the sauce in middle of plate, place the taro fondant and broccolini in centre.
Place the barramundi on top and garnish with the coconut sambal and coriander.
Enjoy!
