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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tumeric and Coconut Braised Barramundi


This dish is absolutely divine - my Thai specialty..

Serves 4

4 Barramundi fillets
2 small red chillies, sliced into fine rounds
Shredded coriander leaves
Spring Onion thinly sliced into rounds (deep fried - see notes)
Half ginger cut into julienne strips (deep fried - see notes)

Turmeric Coconut Broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fanugreek seeds
2 tablespoons crab paste (you can find this in most Thai groceries)
3 red shallots, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh turmeric
1 Roma tomato, diced
12 curry leaves
3 tablespoons minced ginger (you can buy this in the fresh food section of Woolworths/Coles)
2 cups coconut cream (you can get this in most Thai groceries)
1 cup vegetable stock
50ml fish sauce, more or less to taste
50ml lime juice, more or less to taste

Method

To make Turmeric ccoconut broth:

- Heat oil in a medium/large saucepan and fry mustard seeds until they pop.
- Add fanugreek and fry for 20 seconds, then add the crab tomalley, shallots, fresh turmeric and chillies, cook until the shallots are translucent.
- Stir in ground turmeric, tomato, curry leaves and ginger and stir until fragrant.
- Add coconut cream, bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add stock and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with fish sauce and lime juice. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the same saucepan you used to cook the broth in.
- Slice each fillet into 2 even slices crosswise.
- Return broth to simmering point, add fish and cook for 3-4 minutes. It should be tender when you touch it.
- Remove from heat, place fish in serving bowls and ladle some broth over the top, as shown above.
- Combine chillies, coriander, deep fried spring onion, deep fried ginger strips and scatter over fish and serve.

Notes:

Slice the spring onion into thin rounds and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden. Slice the ginger in julienne strips (very fine strips) and deep fry in the same oil until golden.

Both this dish and the Silver Perch were inspired by a great Chef - Christine Manfiled from Universal Restaurant in Sydney. I learned both these dishes through an amazing cooking experience at the Sydney Fish Markets Seafood School.



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