GET THAT BARRA RIGHT WITH GREAT FLAVOURS

■ 1L Massel chicken style liquid stock

■ 1 lemon, juiced

■ 2 cloves garlic, bruised

■ 80g butter, roughly chopped

■ 4 bulbs baby fennel, trimmed, cut into wedges, fronds reserved

■ 2 tablespoons olive oil

■ 4 x 200g pieces barramundi fillet, skin scored

■ 40g rocket

■ Roasted flaked almonds (optional), to serve

■ 400g (about 1/4) butternut or jap pumpkin, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped

■ 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

■ 2 teaspoons cumin

■ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

■ 3 cloves garlic Preheat oven to 200°C. To roast pumpkin for sauce, combine pumpkin, oil, cumin and paprika in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, to braise fennel, place stock, lemon juice, garlic and butter in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Add fennel, reduce heat to medium, then simmer for 15 minutes or until fennel is tender.

Transfer pumpkin and garlic to a food processor and process until smooth. Cool. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

To cook fish, heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Add fish, skinside down, and cook for 3 minutes or until skin is golden. Turn over and cook for a further 3 1/2 minutes or until fish is just cooked. Turn off heat and rest fish in pan for 5 minutes.

Divide fennel among bowls and spoon over braising liquid. Top with fish and rocket, then scatter with flaked almonds and reserved fennel fronds. Dollop with pumpkin sauce to serve.