Fish in Singapore can be expensive, and there’s nothing more disappointing than paying top dollar for produce that’s mediocre. I recently ordered a bunch of things from The Meat Club , an independent online grocer that gets their produce directly from Australia, working only with quality suppliers with a focus on sustainability and animal welfare. Produce is frozen in Australia and shipped directly to Singapore. They’re known for their beef and pork products, being called the Meat Club and all, so I had little expectations on the fish front. Let me say upfront now that I couldn’t be more wrong. The Barramundi that I had was amazing! So fresh, so flaky, I was blown away by the quality.

I can’t take any credit for the recipe that I adapted from The Meat Club, original recipe here : https://www.themeatclub.com.sg/product/sea-bream-with-lemon-and-parsley/ . What I can say though, is that this recipe is so simple it only takes 15 minutes, but really does pack a punch. Of course when you have good produce, more than half the cooking battle is already won.

Pan Seared Barramundi with Lemon & Parsley, served with Asparagus
Prep time : 5 min
Cooking time : 10 min
Total time : 15 min

You’ll need :

• 2 pieces of Barramundi ( Any firm white fish could work as well, such as sea bream)
• 1 lemon
• Bunch of parsley
• 3 Chunks of butter
• Dry white wine (100ml)
• Bunch of asparagus

Prep :

1. Slice your lemon in half, and roughly chop up half your parsley
2. Squeeze half the lemon juice all over the fish, rub over with parsley, and season with salt and pepper

Cook :

1. Start by sautéing the asparagus with 1 chunk of butter, being liberal with the salt and pepper. Do this on low heat, turning ever so often
2. While the Asparagus is cooking, get a skillet ( cast iron/carbon steel preferable) and get it searing hot. If you don’t have a proper skillet, try to aim for a non-stick pan
3. Add a knob of butter and sear your barramundi skin side down for 3 min, then carefully flip over and sear for another 2 minutes . Searing fish is an art and depends very much on the thickness of your fish and how hot your pan is . It comes down to practice but I usually eyeball my fish. When the flesh is no longer translucent and the meat flakes away easily, you’ll know it’s done. For beginner cooks, I’ll advise you to undercook your fish if unsure and use a timer. You can always pop it back on the pan otherwise, and you’ll soon learn from trial and error exactly how long you’ll need to get that perfect doneness. Sometimes I like to undercook my fish slightly, and finish it off in the oven as that’s more forgiving, giving it 2-3 minutes more at 160 degrees celsius.
4. By now the asparagus should be done, so take it off the heat. It should be dark green and tender but still have a bit of a bite to it.
5. To make the sauce, melt down your last chunk of butter on low to medium heat, add the other half chopped parsley to it, and when the parsley has been simmering for awhile, add your white wine and reduce down, around 5 minutes.
6. Serve the fish with asparagus on the side, a wedge of lemon, drizzle the sauce over the fish and you’re done! Enjoy 🙂

xx Kerri