About this recipe
Barramundi is the great fighting fish of Australia and the name is derived from an Aboriginal language from the Rockhampton area which means large scaled fish. However barramundi is fished right across the top end of Australia from Broome to Brisbane.
These days much of the barramundi available for sale is grown and raised in sustainable responsible aquaculture farms and are fed controlled diets and as such tend to have a mild and ordinary flavour. In comparison, wild caught barramundi which frequent both salt water and in land fresh water systems eat a wide ranging diet and have a much stronger and unique flavour. Generally speaking, larger barramundi are wild caught and the smaller baby barramundi are farmed.
Paperbark is one of the most versatile natural food wraps available and imparts a delicate smokey flavour to chicken, pork, veal, poultry, kumara, oysters, fish, scallops … the list goes on. Paperbark works best with white meats and starchy vegetables which are slowly cooked in the paperbark so that the smoke created when the natural oils in the bark are combusted and absorbed into the fats in the food. Many chefs use paperbark for its visual appeal and serve it in paperbark on the plate.
This recipe of paperbark smoked baby barramundi is great to impress friends and family and is really easy to cook. I’d suggest serving it with my Daintree Pineapple Salsa which goes well with the subtle smokey flavours of the baby barramundi.
Ingredients
1 whole baby barramundi - scaled and gutted
1 sheet of Australian Paperbark Roll
Teaspoon Lemon Myrtle Sprinkle
Pinch sea salt
Cooking instruction
Start off by cutting three deep slits on each side of the baby barramundi. This will help the fish cook faster, as well as allowing the flavour to penetrate the flesh for maximum flavour. Rub the sea salt and lemon myrtle on both sides and place on a plate while you prepare the paperbark.
Unroll the paperbark and cut a small amount, sometimes the there are two or three pieces in the roll. As this is a natural product each roll will be different. On occasions, the paperbark is so think that you can actually separate the paperbark in half.
Using the stringless side of the paperbark, rub a little oil on the bark then place the whole baby barramundi on the bark. Wrap like a present, then tie with butchers twine, so it wont burn. Then, on a hot grill or frying pan, sear the paperbark till it starts to smoke. Turn the paperbark package over, then again wait till the paperbark is smoking. After that turn the heat right down on the or place in an oven at 200º till medium. The times required can vary depending on how thick the barramundi is. Test the doneness with a skewer or similar.
When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to rest. Then cut the paperbark at each end with scissors, then open from the middle and serve on a plate. Garnish with Daintree Pineapple Salsa on top or on the side. Enjoy.