Pan Fried Barramundi with Macadamia Butter and Ratatouille
“The ratatouille is enough for four people, but it will keep for left overs"
Words and Images by: MARK HOLLAND and ANTHONY WARRY
INGREDIENTS
THE RATATOUILLE
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, peeled, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced
- 1 large zucchini, topped and tailed, cut into 2-3cm dice
- 1 red capsicum, deseeded, cut into 2-3cm dice
- 1 small eggplant, stalk removed, cut into 2cm dice
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ glass of white wine
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
THE BARRA
- 2 barramundi fillet portions
- 2 good knobs of butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup of chopped fl at-leaf parsley
- Good splash of white wine
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped macadamia nuts, unsalted
- Plain flour to dust fish fillets
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pinches of native wattleseed, dried and ground
- 1 lemon (half for squeezing and remainder for garnishing)
METHOD
THE RATATOUILLE
- In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. Fry until the onions soften and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Now add the eggplant and fry for 3-4 mins, followed by
- the zucchini, capsicum and fresh tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper and stir for a few minutes.
- Add the wine and reduce the heat, place a lid on the saucepan and allow to cook for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. Make sure the vegetables don’t dry out too much (you may need to add a little water). Once the vegetables are cooked, set aside and keep warm.
THE BARRA
- Dust your fish fillets in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat your pan, add a splash of olive oil, knob of butter and the fish with the flesh side down first (not the skin side).
- Cook the fish for around 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown, occasionally spooning the oil and butter over the fish. Turn the fillets and repeat the process until the fish is about cooked.
- Remove the fish from the pan and place on a tray in an oven preheated to 160ºC while you make the sauce.
- To make the sauce, add a knob of butter, macadamias, ground wattleseed and a good splash of white wine to the pan. Gently stir until the sauce starts to bubble, add a squeeze of lemon and the chopped parsley.
TO SERVE
- Place the ratatouille onto plates, remove the fish from the oven and put them onto the ratatouille.
- Spoon your hot butter sauce over the fish and serve with a wedge of lemon.
Category: Cooking
Written: Fri 01 Apr 2016
Printed: April, 2016
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