The Tweed is a region of many flavours, with amazingly fresh seafood, delicious farm-style cheeses, and a wonderful range of tropical fruits just the beginning of what you’ll find across the region. As part of our recent feature on the Tweed Coast, Chef Thomas Pirker of local favourite Mavis’ Kitchen shared his fantastic recipe for wild caught barramundi with pippies and a seasonal salad.

“This is a great meal for travellers on the road, as it really allows you to experience seasonal produce at its absolute best. Stop in at a coastal fish market and pick up your freshly caught seafood, then make a short drive inland to a country farm stay like Mavis’s Kitchen where you can pick your own seasonal greens and herbs straight from the garden. It will really give you a true taste of the local area!” – Chef Thomas.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS  

4 x 180g pieces of fresh, wild-caught barramundi, skin on
250g pippies in shells
100g carrots, julienne (cut into matchsticks)
100g celery, julienne (cut into matchsticks)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
200ml dry white wine
50g butter

For the salad

320g seasonal salad leaves
Zest and juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp wholegrain mustard
Salt
Fresh herbs, chopped, to taste

METHOD

Heat a frypan on high until it smokes.
Add pippies and stir for one minute until shells open.
Add all vegetables and herbs and stir again to combine.
Add wine and butter, reduce heat to low and cook for five minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for three to four minutes.
In a clean pan, add some olive oil and heat to medium-high.
Place the barramundi pieces skin down into the pan and cook until the skin turns golden brown.
Turn the fish pieces and cook for a further three minutes.
While the fish is cooking, combine all ingredients for the salad dressing and toss through the salad leaves.
Add chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil or mint), to taste, if desired.
Place fish on a plate and top with the pippies. Garnish with some fresh chervil and serve with the salad.

TIP: If you can’t get barramundi, any other white fish – such as snapper or trout – will do.