Grilled barramundi with salsa verde
30 min · 42 g protein · 384 cals / serving
Crisp-skinned barramundi straight off the grill with a sharp, punchy salsa verde of parsley, mint, basil, capers, anchovy and lemon spooned over the top, and a juicy rocket and tomato salad on the side. It is light, bright and made for a hot Christmas lunch in the backyard.
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on fillets (about 720 g raw) barramundi, patted very dry
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Salsa verde
- 1 large bunch fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
- a handful of leaves fresh mint
- a handful of leaves fresh basil
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed
- 3 fillets anchovies
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 lemon's worth lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 tbsp water
Salad
- 120 g arugula, rocket
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Steps
- Make the salsa verde: finely chop the parsley, mint, basil, capers, anchovies and garlic together on a board (or pulse briefly in a food processor so it stays a little coarse). Scrape into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, mustard, oil and water. Taste; it should be sharp and salty.
- Heat a barbecue grill plate or chargrill pan to high. Rub the fish with the oil and season with salt. Cook skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the skin stays flat, for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh is opaque most of the way up. Turn and cook 1–2 minutes more, until it flakes and reaches 145°F in the thickest part.
- Toss the rocket, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion with a spoonful of the salsa verde. Serve the fish skin-side up with the rest of the salsa verde spooned over and the salad alongside.
Good to know
How do I stop the skin sticking?
Dry the skin thoroughly, make sure the grill is properly hot and oiled, and do not try to move the fish until the skin releases on its own, after about 4 minutes.
Other fish?
Snapper, blue-eye trevalla or salmon fillets all work the same way; salmon needs a minute less and is richer, at about 55 instead of 65.
Can I make the salsa verde ahead?
Up to a day ahead, covered in the fridge, but add the lemon juice just before serving so the herbs stay bright green.
Per
- Calories
- 110
- Protein
- (43%)
- 12 g
- Fat
- (49%)
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- (8%)
- 3 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 184 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1536 kcal goes into the pot and 1413 g of ingredients comes out as about 1400 g of food: 110 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.