Vietnamese barramundi salad

Cutting the fish into cubes means crunch on all sides, for a salad packed with texture and flavour.

Credit: Outback Gourmet

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 400 g barramundi fillets
• 2-3 tbsp cornflour
• Oil for shallow frying
• Salt

Salad

• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• ½ bunch each Thai basil, mint and coriander, leaves picked
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ mango, thinly sliced
• ½ avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp raw peanuts, chopped

Dressing

• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 3-4 tbsp fish sauce
• 3-4 tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ cup cold water
• Juice and zest of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Slice the barramundi into 3cm chunks, then place in a ziplock bag with the cornflour. Seal the bag and shake to coat.

2. Heat the oil to 180°C in a deep sauté pan then carefully place in the barramundi pieces. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden and crispy all over, then remove and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle over a little salt.

3. In a shallow bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together until the sugar begins to dissolve. Set aside.

4. For the salad, slice the cucumber in half, remove the seeds, then chop into half moons. Place in a large bowl with the washed herbs, tomato, mango and avocado. Spoon over a little of the dressing and toss to coat, then add more to taste if required.

5. Divide the salad between serving plates and top with the peanuts and crispy barramundi. Drizzle with a little extra dressing.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.