When Clare and I recently visited my parents, we decided to prepare a meal for them. We went to a local grocery store, which had a wide selection of seafood, including one fish that I had never seen in a store before ... Barramundi. I have ordered barrimundi at restaurants; but, until recently, I have never cooked with this fish. So, I bought some to use for a main course.
Barramundi -- which means "large scaled river fish" in the language of the Australian Aborigines -- is one of several fish that are part of the growing aquaculture industry. Aquaculture refers to the farming of fish, either in tanks or enclosures. We all have had farmed fish for dinner at some point, because most Atlantic Salmon that you can find in grocery stores is farmed, as is most Tilapia. There is a lot of debate over the pros and cons of aquaculture, especially with respect to the impact of fish farming on the environment and the potential health risks of eating fish farmed in certain ways. This debate is probably best left for another day ... and another post.
My focus was taking the opportunity to cook with a new fish and prepare a great main course for everyone one. Barramundi is a white, flaky fish with a texture that most resembles pollock or cod (at least in my opinion). This type of fish presents a very good "canvas" for different flavors. After quickly scrolling through some recipes, I decided upon a recipe that called for roasting the fish with fennel and orange. Overall, this dish turned out very well and I think my parents were pleased with it.
ROASTED BARRAMUNDI WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE
Adapted from Epicurious
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of barramundi
2 teaspoons of fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
5 Valencia oranges
4 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 medium fennel fronds, trimmed, halved through core,
sliced, plus a few fronds for garnish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Directions:
1. Prepare the spices. Toast fennel seeds in a heavy small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and the seeds begin to brown. Using a spice grinder, coarsely grind the fennel seeds with one and one-half teaspoons of coarse salt.
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