The Recipe Diva: Barra on the Barbie

Barramundi, also known as Asian seabass (along with numerous other names), is very common on the Australian table. If you aren't familiar with Barramundi, which most of my North American friends probably are not, it is a white, flaky fish that is best cooked whole as its thick skin both protects the fish and retains moisture while cooking.

Interestingly enough, I recently read that Dr. Oz, Oprah's go-to medical advisor, just named Barramundi one of his ‘5 Super Foods To Eat Now’ for its anti-aging, immune boosting and cancer fighting properties.

“If the Barramundi fish were a human, he would be a tree-hugging, salad-loving vegetarian. The Barramundi, hailing from the coast of Australia , eschews his fellow fish, dining on plankton instead. That means he doesn’t load up on mercury-packed smaller fish and has extremely low levels of the toxin, which is especially important for pregnant women.
"Free of mercury, but full of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, the Barramundi, which is becoming more popular in the US, is a shoe-in for one of the top 5 superfoods. Bonus: the white meat is light, flaky and delicious.”

As if I didn't already love it, it's just another excuse to keep this light and delicious fish as a staple in my diet. And if it comes from one of Oprah's advisors, it's gospel right?

Here's a quick and easy recipe. I'm not indicating quantities as you can simply modify for how many people you are feeding and how much you can stuff into the fish cavity. By the way, my new grill basket has made life infinitely easier. I highly recommended you purchase one of these for grilling whole fish, so much easier than battling to ensure the skin doesnt stick to your grill.

Barra on the Barbie

Ingredients

fresh whole barramundi

olive oil

garlic cloves, smashed

lemon

herbs

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rinse and pat fish completely dry. Cut diagonal incisions on both sides of fish 1/2 - 1 inch apart. Season inside and outside with salt and pepper.

2. Using an olive oil spray or paper towel soaked in oil, coat inside of grill basket and outside of fish with oil to ensure it does not stick. If you are not using a grill basket, make sure to thorougly coat grill grates.

3. Slice lemons, reserving one to squeeze over fish once it is cooked. Stuff fish cavities with slices lemons, garlic cloves and fresh herbs. I used thyme sprigs, oregano, and parsley and saved my torn basil to garnish.

4. Grill fish for about 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Adjust according to size.