Wild barramundi, cavolo nero and spanner crab

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 15 MINS

“This dish is simple but full of flavour. It’s lovely and fragrant,” says Guy Grossi. “I’ve used barramundi, but it will work just as well with other kinds of white fish, too.” Pictured p138.

50 ml olive oil

6 (about 170gm each) wild barramundi fillets, bones removed

BRAISED CAVOLO NERO & CRAB

50 ml olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

150 gm cavolo nero, leaves separated

2 celery stalks, cut into julienne

1 long red chilli, thinly sliced 15 gm (3cm piece) ginger, grated

1 cup (loosely packed) coriander leaves

200 gm picked, cooked spanner crab meat

Juice of ½ lemon

200 ml verjuice

100 gm unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

1 Preheat oven to 200°C.

For braised cavolo nero and crab, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat, sauté garlic (1 minute), then add cavolo nero, celery, chilli, ginger and coriander, and sauté until leaves wilt (2-3 minutes). Add crab, gently fold through, then add lemon juice and season to taste. Stir in verjuice and butter, creating a sauce, then remove from heat.

2 Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a separate large non-stick, ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Season fish with sea salt and add to pan skin-side down, pressing fillets gently so the skin browns evenly, until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes). Turn fillets over, then transfer pan to oven until fish is just cooked through (3-5 minutes). Remove from oven and spoon oil from pan over skin to help it crisp up.

3 Serve barramundi with braised cavolo nero and crab, drizzled with cooking juices.

Wine suggestion A dry white, such as Mario Macciocca “Civitella” Passerina del Frusinate from Lazio.