Barramundi with Baba Ganoush & Zucchini Salsa
Creating dishes from scratch really makes you flex those creative muscles. I give myself a piece of crisp skin barramundi and ask — what should go with it? It’s very much a blank canvas.
I felt like something fresh but still complex. There was an eggplant and zucchini in the fridge, so it became baba ganoush with a zucchini salsa. The combination of flavours and textures here is great (especially with the crisp skin of the fish).
Wine pairing? With this dish, I’ve gone for the newly released Logan ‘Ridge of Tears’ Riesling. It’s the premium riesling from Logan ($50), but if you’re on a budget the Weemala Riesling from Logan ($21) is also excellent. The lovely acidity, touch of fruit sweetness, and clean delicious drinking just pairs perfectly with the spiced eggplant and softness of the fish.
Made with fruit from Orange, this is superlative riesling. Texturally complex and layered, with some long and zingy citrus, peach, lemon curd and a little waft of fresh garden thyme. There might be a touch of residual sugar here (or just wonderful fruit sweetness) but it’s mostly dry, with long and well balanced acidity. I was lucky enough to spend the Monday of the long weekend drinking this with winemaker Pete Logan, along with a couple of other mates. We ate some wonderful fried chicken and tried the Ridge of Tears range: Riesling, Chardonnay and Shiraz. While every wine was excellent, I reckon there’s a bit of ‘X’ factor about this riesling, and think there will be plenty of accolades to come (I don’t have a photo of the bottle yet, but I’ll post it on Instagram when I do!)
The cellar door at Logan Wines is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Mudgee region!
Ingredients:
2 x pieces of fresh barramundi, skin on
1 x large eggplant
1 x large zucchini
1 tablespoon of pinenuts
2 x anchovy fillets
4 x large olives, pitted
1 tablespoon of baby capers
½ teaspoon of cumin and paprika
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon tahini paste
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
Juice of half a lemon
Handful of fresh mint & parsley
Method:
• First, take your fish from the fridge. Ensure it’s as dry as possible (pat dry with a paper towel). Season fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
• To make the baba ganoush, grill the eggplant over fire or a BBQ plate until well-cooked. If necessary, put in the oven for fifteen minutes or so to finish roasting. Once it’s cooled slightly, peel away the skin, and use a potato masher to blitz up the eggplant. You can puree in a blender, but I prefer a slightly chunkier texture. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, a dash of olive oil, half the lemon juice, tahini paste, greek yoghurt and mayonnaise and mix together. Add some olive oil to the top and refrigerate until ready to use. The baba ganoush will be best made the day before, if possible.
• For the zucchini salsa, halve the zucchini and slice thinly. Add to a colander over the sink with a tablespoon of salt, and massage the salt into the flesh. Leave for half an hour, and then give the zucchini a squeeze, to rid it of as much moisture as possible. Then, grill on a bbq plate or in a pan until slightly caramelised. Let the zucchini cool, then add the capers, half the lemon juice, baby capers, sliced olives, anchovy fillets, herbs, pinenuts, and mix together. Set to the side.
• To cook the barramundi, get your best fry pan hot. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and coat the pan. Next, add the barramundi to the pan, skin side down. If it sizzles, you know the pan is hot enough. Use a spatula to push down on the fillets for 10-20 seconds. Then, turn the heat down to medium and let the skin crisp with the heat. If the barramundi fillets are thick, you can put the fish into the oven to finish (just make sure your pan is oven-safe). Flip the fish after 5-7 minutes (judge by the size). You’ll know the fish is cooked when it still holds its shape, but when you touch the flesh it’s soft, ready to fall apart. If it’s still firm and bouncy, it needs longer.
• To finish, add the baba ganoush to the plate. Top with the barramundi. Place the zucchini salsa around the fish fillets and add a dribble of EVOO to the plate.
