Name: Pan-fried barramundi with zucchini, currants and mint
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandolin; 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying; 1 cup mint (firmly packed); 1 golden shallot, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 35 gm pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve (¼ cup); 4 barramundi fillets (about 180gm each), skin on; Currant and anchovy dressing; 2 tbsp currants; 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil (⅓ cup); 2 tbsp baby capers in brine, rinsed and coarsely chopped; 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped; 1 small garlic clove, crushed; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar; Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve

The key to beautifully crisp skin on the fish is to weight the fish in the pan with a heavy saucepan – place a sheet of baking paper on the fillet before placing the saucepan on top.

Ingredients

4 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandolin

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying

1 cup mint (firmly packed)

1 golden shallot, thinly sliced on a mandolin

35 gm pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus extra to serve (¼ cup)

4 barramundi fillets (about 180gm each), skin on

Currant and anchovy dressing

2 tbsp currants

80 ml extra-virgin olive oil (⅓ cup)

2 tbsp baby capers in brine, rinsed and coarsely chopped

3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve

Method

For currant and anchovy dressing, soak currants in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain, coarsely chop and combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients and season to taste.

Heat a lightly greased char-grill pan or barbecue to high. Drizzle half the zucchini with the olive oil, season to taste and grill in batches until charred on one side (1 minute). Transfer to a bowl, cool briefly, then add mint, shallot, pistachios and remaining zucchini.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add fish, skin-side down, top with baking paper, weight with a heavy pan, and fry until skin is browned and crisp (2-3 minutes). Turn and fry until just cooked (1 minute).

Toss salad with half the dressing, season and arrange on plates with barramundi. Drizzle with remaining dressing, scatter with extra pistachios and serve with lemon wedges.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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