A simple and light yet delicious fish dish.
Wild barramundi has a nice texture with a sweet flavour; although care must be taken when cooking as it has a very dense flesh that needs to be cooked through.
Béarnaise (an offshoot of Hollandaise), is a perfect accompaniment to fish; it has a slight sharpness from the shallots & vinegar, as well as a sweet anise warmth from the tarragon.
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5-7 mins
Cooking Time: 12-15 mins
Ingredients
Béarnaise Sauce
- 60ml white wine vinegar
- 125 ml white wine
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh tarragon
- 4 egg yolks
- 170g unsalted butter, clarified
- 16g fresh chopped tarragon
- 5g whole white peppercorns
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Fish
- 2 x 120g barramundi fillets
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Method
Béarnaise
- into a saucepan, add the vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon sprig, and white peppercorns
- bring to the boil and reduce by 2/3
- strain and discard the vegetables and herbs
- in very clean a bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, beat the vinegar reduction and egg yolks with a whisk, until thick and foamy (6-8mins)
- remove from the heat
- slowly drizzle in the butter, whisking constantly
- add the chopped tarragon
- taste and adjust the seasoning with salt & lemon juice as required
- if the sauce seems too thick, just whisk in a little hot water
Keep the sauce warm while you cook the fish
Barramundi
- gently rub the barramundi with canola oil
- season with sea salt and cracked black pepper
- place in a hot non-stick pan over medium-high heat
- cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until the fillets are lightly browned, gently turning
To Serve
Place gently on a plate, spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
