Tassal ambassador Chef Guy Turland shares how to cook the perfect crispy skin barramundi on the BBQ
MOISTURE IS YOUR ENEMY!
Barramundi fillets hold a lot of moisture, resulting in a tender delicious eating fish. It’s this same moisture that is responsible for both the flesh and skin sticking to your pans, grill or BBQ when you’re cooking barramundi.
MY TOP TWO TECHNIQUES TO GETTING SUPER DRY SKIN BEFORE COOKING:
1. Using a paper kitchen towel, patting the surface of your barra dry. Doing this multiple times and letting your fish sit on a wire rack for about an hour at room temperature, will help dry out the skin; it will also help take the chill off the meat, allowing it to cook more quickly and evenly.
2. On a wire rack on a plate or tray in the fridge, leave your barra uncovered overnight skin side up. The circulating air from the fridge will suck out the moisture, resulting in a crackling like dry skin.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE HEAT
Heat is the key to getting a crispy skin and ensuring your barra doesn’t stick. When you place your barramundi fillet in a pan or on the BBQ, the heat transfers from the pan or BBQ into the fish. If the cooking surface is not hot enough, it’ll go cold, your fish will stick and you’ll never get a crispy skin.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan, or on the flat top of your BBQ over medium-high heat until hot. Look for shimmering oil and little wisps of smoke as a sign it’s hot enough. As soon as you
see them, place the barramundi fillets skin side down.
Tassal Event at The Depot in Bondi, Julia Firak Photography
BAKING PAPER TIP
If you have an old BBQ, pan or skillet and you’re concerned your Barramundi skin is going to stick, then baking paper is your best friend. Simply add a little oil in the pan, top with a square of baking paper
and then a little more oil, add your barra to the pan skin side down
and I promise your skin will come out intact and perfect every time.
The perfect crispy skin Tassal barramundi
INGREDIENTS
Cone Bay barramundi portions Salt
2 tbsp Oil Pepper
METHOD
Pat the fish dry
1. Start by gently patting the fish fillets dry with paper towels. If you want to take extra precautions, you can leave the fish fillets in the fridge with the skin side up, uncovered, for an hour or even overnight.
Score the skin
2. Using a sharp knife, score the skin by making slashes. Cut 3-3 cuts, 1 cm apart, and make them about 2-3mm deep, cutting into the skin and slightly into the flesh.
Season the Fish
3. Sprinkle both the flesh and skin of the fish with salt and pepper just before cooking.
The perfect crispy skin Tassal barramundi
Heat Oil on the BBQ Flat Top
4. On the BBQ flat top, heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium- high heat until you see the first small wisps of smoke.
Press the Fish Down
5. Place your fillets into the pan skin side down. Then, use your fingers or a spatula to press it down lightly for about 10 seconds. This helps the skin seal flat against the hot surface.
Cook the Skin Side
6. Cook the skin side for 5 – 8 minutes until it becomes crispy in the center and turns golden. You can lift up the fillet to check its progress. Flip your fillet and cook on the other side until your liking (5-8 minutes)
Rest and Serve
7. After cooking, transfer the fish to a rack with the skin side facing up. Allow it to rest for 3 minutes.
8. Serve with your favourite green salad or fresh green veggies.
