A Classic Australian Fish With a Dr. Meg Twist

Whenever I go to a new place, I like to ask around to find out what the local favorite fare consists of. Since Cairns, Australia is on the Pacific coast near The Great Barrier Reef, I had to know what the best local swimmers were. Time and again I was told, “Try Barrimundi”. So that’s what I set out to do.

I found out that local, fresh caught Barrimundi was the best purchase to make in order to truly experience the fish. Most markets will have previously frozen choices that are less expensive or they will have the lesser Barrimundi cod fish. Since the fish are not well labeled, the best way to tell is to go to the seafood counter in the market and ask where it was caught, when, and if it is fresh or previously frozen.

Barrimundi, meaning “large scaled river fish” gets its name from the Australian Aboriginal language. It has become a national favorite fish. It’s a white fish with a mild taste that reminded me of river bass I used to catch on canoe trips on the New River in Southwestern, Virginia when I was in college. It’s very moist, meaty and delicious without any fishy taste.

I prepared this gorgeous Barrimundi using a mild marinade so as not to overpower the flavor of the fish. Rusty’s market had some perfect Thai basil so I chopped up a couple of hands full, added fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil with a little salt and pepper. After whisking the ingredients together, I set the cleaned fish in this marinade and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

When it came time to cook the fish, I pan fried it in olive oil, a little butter for extra flavor, and the remaining marinade. I cooked it for about three minutes per side until the fish flaked easily but did not dry out – in fact, it was so moist, it fell apart. I then served it over a Mediterranean fennel salad that I made from fresh local ingredients. That recipe will come in the next blog.

Of all the great meals I had in Australia, this was perhaps my favorite one. The flavors were uncomplicated, mild, a little tangy and salty. I savored each bite as I enjoyed the evening talking and eating with my dear friend Ly. We sat on the balcony, overlooking the water and watching the giant bats called the spectacled flying fox as they flew into the forest in search of fruit. There’s something special that happens when you create a dish from local produce in another country and share it with a loved one. It was a magical backdrop and a just right kind of night.



For more information on living a delicious and healthy live, see my website at http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/