Barramundi with Brown Butter and Macadamia
Barramundi is a fish native to northern Australian waters, prized for thousands of years by Aboriginal peoples, and its name comes from an Aboriginal word roughly meaning 'large-scaled river fish'. Widely farmed today, it has become one of the country's most popular restaurant fish. Pairing it with macadamia, Australia's only widely commercialised native nut, is a natural choice: it reflects modern Australian cuisine's habit of combining native ingredients with classic European techniques, like brown butter.
Australia's favourite fish
Barramundi has firm, sweet white flesh and skin that turns wonderfully crisp when pan-fried.
Crispy skin is essential
A light dusting of flour on the skin and a very hot pan give the signature golden crust.
Nutty brown butter
Butter cooked until golden-brown becomes the base for a quick, richly flavoured sauce.
Macadamia, a native touch
Chopped macadamia nuts bring crunch and a distinctly Australian flavour to the finished sauce.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 barramundi fillets, skin on
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 80g butter
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp capers
- 50g macadamia nuts, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
How to make it
- 1Pat the barramundi fillets dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2Dust the skin side lightly with flour to help it crisp up.
- 3Sear the fillets skin-side down in a very hot pan with oil until the skin is golden and crisp.
- 4Flip and cook briefly on the other side until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily.
- 5Remove the fish and melt the butter in the same pan until it turns nutty and golden-brown.
- 6Stir in the lemon juice, capers, and chopped macadamias to make a quick pan sauce.
- 7Spoon the warm sauce over the fillets and scatter with fresh parsley before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
