Best Ways to Warm Up with Barra During Winter

Winter is here! Who else has started cranking up the oven? We’re cooking up some serious HEAT to make sure you’re staying toasty during these chilly nights.

But before we get started, it is nothing new that the colder months can put a strain on our health, so it is important to keep those immune systems strong! Did you know barramundi is a superfood loaded with immune boosting vitamins that also supports your mental health?! Read more about Aussie barramundi’s nutrients here.

If you are looking to make healthy (but also very comforting) food without compromising your belly, Aussie barra is your choice of protein! So, we are going to uncover our top three best ways cooking barra this winter!

#1 The perfect baked barramundi

Barramundi tastes exceptional when baked or roasted in the oven. The best part is, you can easily add as many vegetables as you like and cook it all the same time. To master the perfect baked barramundi, we suggest:

• If you are roasting a whole barramundi, score it three times each side so flavour penetrates
• You can use baking paper to create a ‘barra bag’ (en papilotte style)! Simply wrap up barra fillets with your fave ingredients such as tomatoes, red capsicum, asparagus or olives and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven!
• Our fool proof prep for roasting barramundi is to brush with olive oil, stuff with lemon plus your favourite herbs then generously season
• Quick note! Barramundi is cooked if the fish flakes easily from the bone with a fork

If all this food talk is making you HUNGRY, say no more! We have a whole bunch of delicious and FREE celebrity chef recipes that are perfect for warming up your bellies. Download them here.

#2 The crispiest pan-fried barramundi

If you love a crispy skin but could never nail it at home, you’ve came to the right place! If you follow the below steps, you will be able to make barra to crispy perfection:

• When purchasing at the store, ask for Australian barramundi fillets with skin on
• Gently pat the barramundi fillets with a paper towel and make sure it is dry
• Finely score the skin
• Add oil AND salt to your frying pan before adding the barramundi
• For a super crispy skin, we suggest using grapeseed oil instead of olive oil because it heats at a higher temperature meaning it will not burn too quickly like other common cooking oils
• You can cook the skin separately on the pan! To make it crunchier, we suggest placing a heavy saucepan on top of the sizzling skin

#3 Winter warmer dish by chef Justin James

Powerhouse international chef, Justin James has shared with us a healthy iso-friendly recipe that you can cook up this winter using few ingredients!

• Make a quick marinade consisting of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper
• Let the barramundi marinate for 20 minutes but no more than 40 minutes
• Turn on the pan or grill
• Add barra to the pan and cook till it’s almost done
• Let the barramundi rest and continue to cook through the resting process
• To serve with the fish, you can make a green salad with whatever greens already in the fridge
• If using a grill, you can grill lettuce with stem attached for about 30-45 seconds. You want to keep it “raw” but impart bitterness with the char, this can really jazz up your average salad!
• You can use the same marinade for the barramundi as the salad dressing

Did you know that freezing Australian barramundi does not make it lose its powerful nutrients or flavours? If you would like to save your Aussie barra for a rainy winter’s day, here is our helpful guide to freezing at home.