Simple Lemon Butter Barramundi

Supermarket shoppers might notice an unfamiliar fish in the freezer case this spring. It’s barramundi, an Australian fish now being farmed in the United States. According to the distributor, the name is Aboriginal for “large-scaled silver fish.”

Barramundi’s flavor is described as mild and buttery, and the texture is such that it can be baked, broiled, sauteed or grilled.

In “50 Ways to Eat Green,” a feature in its February issue, Bon Appetit magazine suggests buying farm-raised barramundi, saying it has “fabulous taste” and noting it is sustainably raised. The feature included a recipe for Roasted Farm-Raised Barramundi With Fennel and Orange.

In the St. Louis area, Schnucks and Dierbergs have begun carrying 12-ounce bags of frozen U.S.-farmed barramundi from Australis Aquaculture, the source of this recipe and photo.

Simple Lemon Butter Barramundi
Yield: 4 servings

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 to 6 leaves fresh basil, minced or 3/4 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
4 barramundi fillets
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil

Gently sauté the garlic in butter for about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and basil. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat.

Coat fillets with oil. Pan-fry one side on high heat for 3minutes. Flip and cook other side 1 or 2 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Transfer to serving dish. Spoon sauce over fillets.