Grilled Barramundi with Lemon Myrtle, Fennel Salad
Barramundi fillet with crispy skin, perfumed with lemon myrtle, set on a crunchy salad of fennel, cucumber and fresh herbs.
Barramundi fillet with crispy skin, perfumed with lemon myrtle, set on a crunchy salad of fennel, cucumber and fresh herbs.
When I prepare a role, my body has to follow the character — the rigour of Virginia Woolf is not that of a Moulin Rouge dancer — so I eat simple, clean, alive. Barramundi is my fish, the one from home: a skin you make crispy, a delicate flesh, and that lemon myrtle that smells of the bush of my childhood. I lay it on raw fennel, well chilled, squeeze a lemon, and there you go: nothing spectacular, but everything is there. It's the meal I treat myself to between takes, when I want to stay light and focused.
- •Barramundi fillet — one piece per person (lean protein)
- •Dried lemon myrtle — a pinch (native perfume)
- •Raw fennel — one bulb (crunch)
- •Oil and lemon — as needed (dressing)
Grilled Barramundi with Lemon Myrtle, Fennel Salad
Barramundi fillet with crispy skin, perfumed with lemon myrtle, set on a crunchy salad of fennel, cucumber and fresh herbs.
Why this dish? Nicole Kidman's diet, supervised by nutritionists during her role preparations, favours lean proteins and fresh vegetables. Barramundi, a native Australian fish, embodies this healthy daily routine true to her roots.
When I prepare a role, my body has to follow the character — the rigour of Virginia Woolf is not that of a Moulin Rouge dancer — so I eat simple, clean, alive. Barramundi is my fish, the one from home: a skin you make crispy, a delicate flesh, and that lemon myrtle that smells of the bush of my childhood. I lay it on raw fennel, well chilled, squeeze a lemon, and there you go: nothing spectacular, but everything is there. It's the meal I treat myself to between takes, when I want to stay light and focused.
Ingredients (period version)
- Barramundi fillet — one piece per person (lean protein)
- Dried lemon myrtle — a pinch (native perfume)
- Raw fennel — one bulb (crunch)
- Oil and lemon — as needed (dressing)
Ingredients
- Barramundi fillets (or sea bass) — 2 skin-on fillets (lean protein)
- Ground lemon myrtle — 1/2 tsp (signature perfume)
- Fennel — 1 bulb, thinly sliced (crunchy salad)
- Cucumber — 1/2 (freshness)
- Dill and parsley — a few sprigs (fresh herbs)
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp (cooking and dressing)
- Lemon — 1 (acidity)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Pat the fillets dry, season the skin with salt, sprinkle the flesh with lemon myrtle.
- Sear skin-side down in a hot oiled pan until golden and crispy, then briefly finish flesh-side.
- Thinly slice fennel and cucumber, mix with herbs, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Plate the fish on the salad, drizzle with a squeeze of lemon.
How it was made : Barramundi has been fished and eaten for millennia by Aboriginal peoples of Australia, often cooked on coals or wrapped in leaves. Lemon myrtle is part of 'bush tucker', native aromatics rediscovered by contemporary Australian cuisine.
The contemporary twist : A fine julienne of fennel arranged in swirls, like annotations in the margin of a worked script.
Nicole Kidman · Charactorium