Recipe: Summer Barra Salad

Barramundi is a great fish for summer salads. It has enough richness to make the salad feel substantial, while its mild flavour works well with fresh fruit, crisp vegetables and plenty of acidity.

This version pairs pan-fried barramundi with blood orange, fresh peaches, kale and fennel, finished with quick-pickled red onion and a lemon, dill and yoghurt dressing. Shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts add a salty, nutty finish and extra texture.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Barramundi

• 600g barramundi fillets, skin on
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 lemon
  
  
  

Quick-Pickled Red Onion

• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
  
  
  

Lemon & Dill Yoghurt Dressing

• ¾ cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• Salt and cracked black pepper
  
  
  
  
  

Salad

• 4 cups kale, stalks removed and leaves roughly torn
• 2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
• 2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 1 small fennel bulb, finely shaved
• 1 zucchini, in ribbons
• ½ cup shaved Parmesan
• ⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted, or sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup fresh dill leaves
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt
• Lemon wedges, to serve
  
  
  
  
  

Method

1. Pickle the onion. Combine the red onion, apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Toss well and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Drain before serving.

2. Prepare the kale. Place the kale in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Using clean hands, gently massage the leaves for 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

3. Make the dressing. Combine the yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill and chives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. Prepare the barramundi. Pat the barramundi dry with paper towel and check for any remaining bones. Lightly coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook the fish. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the barramundi skin-side down and cook for 3–4 minutes, pressing gently for the first 30 seconds to keep the skin flat. Turn and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, or until just cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and set aside to rest briefly.

6. Assemble the salad. Arrange the kale, fennel, zucchini ribbons, blood orange, peach and pickled onion on a large serving platter. Add the shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts, then spoon over some of the yoghurt dressing.

7. Add the barramundi. Break the cooked barramundi into large pieces and arrange over the salad, keeping some of the crispy skin intact. Finish with fresh dill and serve with lemon wedges and the remaining dressing on the side.

About Etty Bay Barramundi

Etty Bay Barramundi is farmed in Tropical North Queensland, between the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforest. The fish are raised in high-salinity water sourced from this coastal environment.

The fish has a firm, moist texture with large flakes and a clean, mild flavour with a buttery finish. Its natural fat content also makes it particularly versatile for pan-frying, grilling, steaming and smoking.

That texture works particularly well in this salad. The fish holds together when pan-fried but can still be easily broken into generous flakes for serving. Its richness is balanced by the acidity of the pickled onion and blood orange, while ripe peach adds sweetness and the Parmesan and toasted nuts bring a salty, savoury finish.

Cooking Barramundi with the Skin On

For this recipe, we recommend keeping the skin on. Barramundi skin crisps beautifully in a hot pan and adds another texture to an otherwise fresh salad.

The key is to start with dry skin and a properly heated pan. Cook the fish skin-side down for most of the cooking time, then turn it briefly to finish. Avoid moving the fillet around the pan too much – give the skin time to become golden and crisp before turning.