Here's a super delicious, easy-to-make Pan-Fried Barramundi with Smashed Green Olive, Fennel, Peach, and Basil Salad.
This dish features perfectly cooked barramundi fillets with crispy skin, served alongside a colourful salad that combines the sweetness of fresh peaches, the creaminess of avocado, and the zing of basil and lemon.
I've topped the salad with high-quality Tassie hemp seeds and a drizzle of hemp seed oil for their delicious taste, added fibre, and rich source of plant-based protein. Hemp is considered a superfood due to its impressive nutritional profile and is very similar to chia and flax seeds. It's also an incredibly versatile ingredient and super easy to incorporate into recipes.
I've also added a touch of Aleppo pepper chili flakes for some extra flavour, but feel free to adjust this according to your taste.
This gluten-free and dairy-free recipe is perfect for any day of the week and comes together in around 30 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
Gluten Free, Dairy Free 
20 minutes preparation time + 15 minutes cooking time 
2 Fish
- 2 x barramundi fillets or your favourite fish fillets
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt flakes
- Black pepper
- Squeeze of lemon juice
Salad
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced, and a large pinch of the fronds roughly chopped
- A handful of green Sicilian olives, smashed and pit removed
- 3 fresh peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Drizzle of hemp seed oil
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- Sea salt flakes, to taste
- Aleppo pepper flakes or mild chili flake, to taste
Method
Fish
- Place a large frypan over medium to high heat.
- Drizzle the fish fillets with olive oil and place them into the hot pan, skin side down.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes on the skin side, then turn over once the skin is nicely browned and crisp.
- Turn the fish over and cook for a further 5 or so minutes until the fish is cooked through.
- Remove the fish from the heat, sprinkle with more flakey sea salt if needed, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Salad
- While the fish is cooking, let's make the salad.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the sliced peaches, sliced fennel, fennel fronds, smashed olives, sliced avocado, lemon zest, and fresh basil leaves.
- Sprinkle over the hemp seeds, and Aleppo pepper flakes, adjusting the chili to your to taste.
- Drizzle generously with hemp seed oil, the white wine vinegar, squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, and add a generous pinch of sea salt flakes.
- Gently toss to combine and serve with that beautiful pan fried fish. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Barramundi or Your Favourite Fish: You can use barramundi fillets or any other favourite fish fillets for this recipe. Make sure the fillets are of similar size for even cooking.
- Choosing Barramundi: Barramundi is a great choice for its mild flavour and tender texture. Look for ethically sourced barramundi for a more sustainable option.
- Fish Cooking Time: Cooking times for fish may vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. The skin should be crispy, and the fish should be cooked through but still moist. Adjust cooking time as needed.
- Peaches: Choose ripe but firm peaches for the salad. If they are overly ripe, they might become too mushy when sliced.
- Serving Suggestion: This dish is perfect for a light and refreshing lunch or dinner. Consider serving it with a side of crusty bread or roast potatoes if you'd like to make it a heartier meal.
- Fresh Ingredients: The key to this dish's success is using fresh and high-quality ingredients. The flavours of the salad really shine when the produce is at its best.
- Season to Taste: Don't forget to season both the fish and the salad to taste. You can always adjust the amount of salt, pepper, and lemon juice to suit your preferences.
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