Special Magic Kitchen

Over the last few months, my favorite local restaurant has been featuring barramundi fish prepared different ways. I had never really heard of this fish before, but the October Bon Appétit also featured this seafood. Hearing about a new fish twice in a few months is enough for me to look into it.

First of all, barramundi originally comes from the waters of northern Australia, southeast Asia and southern China. It is especially popular in Thai cuisine and with Australian sport fisherman. Barramunid also goes by such names as barra, silver barramundi, giant perch, palmer perch, Asian seabass, Australian seabass, and white seabass. The name ‘barramundi’ though has Australian origins and comes from the aboriginal word meaning ‘large-scaled river fish’.

Barramundi is a healthy fish option, as it is an oily white fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. It is also a ‘green choice’ and Seafood Watch gives it the ‘Best Choice’ rating as do the other two sustainable seafood guides. Most of the fish consumed in the US are farmed domestically in closed ponds with recirculating water, and this means it is exposed less to pollutants. Barramundi from Asia are farmed differently, and those products are more prone to disease and contaminants than domestic-farmed fish.

But the barramundi market in the US is still relatively small with only one domestic supplier, Australis Aquaculture, in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. With that said, that operation is the largest fish farm in the US and produces about 800 tons a year. Another firm, Triar Seafoods in Hollywood, Florida, began supplying barramundi in 2002 by importing from Australia, and Australis Aquaculture also established farming operations in Vietnam in 2008.

But since 2007 barramundi has been called the ‘hot seafood trend’ by high-end chefs and food editors, and it is slowly making its way to other less-urban parts of the country and even to some grocery stores. This means that more remote fine restaurants such as the one I frequent are now featuring it — though it has taken a couple of years to migrate.

Barramundi is generally considered a high-end fish. It is sweet, buttery and has a delicate texture. According to Seafood Business Magazine, “…barramundi holds up well to a variety of flavors and ingredient combinations, lending itself generously to sauces and spices. It can be baked, broiled, fried, sautéed, steamed, poached, roasted whole or grilled — even the skin is edible. Its fat content keeps it from drying out and barramundi’s white flaky texture and taste prompted its use as an ingredient on ‘Iron Chef America’.”

When buying the fresh barramundi — if you get the chance — the flesh should be firm and white, with no dark spots, and there should be no odor. The eyes should be clear and shiny and the backbone should spring back when pressed with a finger.

Though I don’t think I will be able to buy it fresh for a while, the marketing blitz in conjunction with the health and green positives associated with barramundi probably mean it will be hitting it big in regional markets and local-fine restaurants soon. This fish is all the rage. It has been featured on NPR, in O magazine, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Bon Appétit, and in many other publications. It is really quite ridiculous how well this fish has been marketed and risen so quickly; it’s the ‘rock star’ of all seafood. And to top it all off, folk legend has it that the fish is an aphrodisiac with some calling barramundi the ‘passion fish’.

Regardless of the hype and quick rise, barramundi is a good fish, good for you, and good for the environment. If you are a fish eater and care about sustainable fishing, you may want to replace your over-fished species like Chilean sea bass, red snapper and grouper with barramundi if this fish is offered. And if you have the fish available at your market, you might want to try Bon Appetit’s recipe for barramundi fillets with roasted sweet potato and brussels sprout chips. I probably can’t find the fish locally, but those spourt chips look fabulous.

Now with that said, there is some bad news. In January 2009, Australis Aquaculture found itself in significant financial difficulty and suspended trading on the Australian Securities Exchange. And in March 2009 it was sold to WM Capital of Houston, Texas. The company still goes under the Australis Aquaculture name, and according to Josh Goldman, it is a ‘move of necessity’ and gave the company the necessary growth capital to increase the fish’s presence in the retail market. Maybe that is why I saw the fish in central Minnesota, but I still have my worries. I would hate to see a great seafood operation ruined by the bad economy.