This colourful recipe combines fresh Australian barramundi with pomegranate, green olives, herbs, and a tangy pomegranate molasses dressing. Topped with a creamy almond puree, this is the perfect plate for sharing.
Jacqui Challinor's BBQ barramundi is a great excuse to fire up the BBQ. It's perfect dish to share with family or close friends for a relaxed long lunch. Don't forget to soak your almonds overnight for a beautiful almond puree!
BBQ Barramundi with Pomegranate and Green Olive Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1 whole Australian barramundi, scaled and pin boned
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 275g blanched almonds
- 1 large clove garlic
- 10g sourdough, crust removed
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
- 185ml chilled almond water (see method)
- 120ml lemon juice
- ½ cup pomegranate
- ½ cup gordal olives, pitted and diced
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, finely shredded
- ¼ cup mint leaves, finely shredded
- 6 green shallots, finely sliced
- 50 ml pomegranate molasses
- Sea salt to taste
Method
- One day ahead, soak almonds overnight in 500ml water. Strain almonds from water and reserve 185ml of chilled almond water for the puree.
- Place 210g soaked almonds, garlic and sourdough into a food processor and blitz until a fine paste.
- Slowly add 100ml olive oil in a steady stream, scraping down the sides of the processor to ensure even mixing.
- Once oil is incorporated, slowly add the chilled water in a steady stream until emulsified, again making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add lemon 40ml lemon juice and salt to taste, remove from mixer and set aside at room temperature for an hour to settle and thicken up.
- Heat BBQ to a medium temperature. Brush skin and flesh of barramundi with olive oil and season well with sea salt. Place on BBQ.
- While barramundi is cooking, combine pomegranate, olives, remaining almonds, parsley, mint, shallots, 100ml olive oil, 80ml lemon juice and pomegranate molasses into a bowl and season with salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook barramundi ¾ of the way through on one side then gently turn to allow the rest to cook through. Remove from BBQ and rest.
- Liberally spread almond puree on a large platter and top with pomegranate tabbouleh. Sprinkle sumac over salad then place the barramundi on top.
