Paperbark barramundi with lemon myrtle butter

Want to learn how to cook with Indigenous Australian ingredient, lemon myrtle? Learn from the expert, Samantha Martin, aka Bush Tukka woman, who uses this citrusy ingredient three ways – to cook fish, make a scented butter and a lemony garlic rice.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2-4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Fish and Fire

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 1 x 550 g – 650 g baby barramundi, cleaned
• 6 fresh lemon myrtle leaves
• Paperbark, pre-soaked, for wrapping
• Olive oil, for greasing
• Lemon aspen, for the fish (optional)
• Lemon myrtle rice, to serve

For the lemon myrtle butter

• 40 g butter, softened
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground lemon myrtle
• A pinch of salt

For the lemon myrtle rice

• 3 cups jasmine rice
• 3 ½ cups water
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp ground lemon myrtle
• 40 g butter
• 1 tsp salt

Resting time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the lemon myrtle butter, in a small bowl, combine the ingredients. Mix well to combine, then set aside.
   
2. To make the lemon myrtle garlic butter rice, wash rice under tap water to remove extra starch, until the water runs clear. Combine with water in a medium saucepan, then cook on high heat for 15 minutes uncovered, then reduce to medium and cook, covered for a further minutes, or until the rice is fluffy and all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes, then stir through garlic salt, lemon myrtle, butter and salt through the rice with a fork.
   
3. While the rice is standing, preheat a barbecue. Lay the soaked paperbark on a large sheet of foil large enough to enclose the fish when wrapped. Place a large sheet of baking paper over the paperbark, to prevent sticking. Grease the baking paper with a little drizzle of olive oil.
   
4. Pat the barramundi dry with paper towel, then use a sharp knife to cut 2-3 slits into the sides of the fish. Transfer to the greased baking paper, then stuff the slits with lemon myrtle leaves and the cavity with lemon aspen. Spread the lemon myrtle butter all over the fish, then wrap the fish with the baking paper, paperbark and foil, leaving a small opening to allow for steam to escape.
   
5. Place the wrapped fish parcel onto the barbecue and close the hood. Cook for 10 minutes, then seal the foil parcel, turn and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Remove from the barbecue and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
   
6. To serve, open the fish parcel and serve with lemon myrtle garlic butter rice.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Fish and Fire

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G