Similar story: we came across a beautiful piece of fish over the weekend that’s cheap and from a good source, just begging to be used! Dishes like these follow the trinity of protein, condiments, sauce. We‘ll be stepping up our sauce game more and more – stay tuned!
Serves 2
Time: 🕰🕰
Effort: 💪💪
Ingredients:
1 piece barramundi skin-on (here, 52 HKD for 2 people from Market Place)
1/2 red pepper
4 leaves cavalo nero
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Vegetable oil
Salt
Pepper
Lemon juice
Small knob of butter
Method:
1. Finely slice red pepper flesh to produce small strips
2. Put in a pan with some oil, a splash of water, salt, and lemon juice
3. Cover and leave to sweat for 30 minutes on low fire, skin side down
4. Bring barramundi to room temperature
5. Pat as dry as possible, especially skin side
6. Curl fillet up to stretch the skin
7. Make shallow incisions on the skin to aid cooking and crisping
8. Salt the skin
9. Cover with paper towel to absorb further moisture
10. Chop cavalo nero and soften gently with water, oil, salt, and cumin, until soft
11. Get pan smoking hot
12. Reduce to medium heat
13. Add olive oil, followed quickly by barramundi, skin side down
14. Leave to crisp for around 4 minutes
15. Check that skin is crisp by peeking on the underside
16. Flip to cook for another 3 minutes, until the sides of the flesh suggest even temperature on both sides
17. Flip to crisp the skin one last time, on high heat
18. Plate cavalo nero, followed by fish, and slices of red pepper
19. Add butter to remaining cooking juice to thicken; spoon sauce around the fish but not on the skin
20. Garnish with a few pieces of chickpeas
Nat & E Homecooking 