Barramundi is a very nutritious and mild fish that is loved by many people. However, if you can buy wild barramundi, it will be even more delicious and nutritious than farmed fish. So how can you differentiate between them?
Clear ways to differentiate between wild and farmed barramundi
– Wild barramundi caught in rivers and lakes usually have a stronger and slightly longer body, with a small belly. The skin on the body is slightly yellow, while the skin on the belly is slightly pink. If the fish has eggs, they will be located close to the bottom of the belly. On the other hand, farmed fish have larger bellies, shorter bodies, and white skin. If they have eggs, the eggs will be located in the upper part of the belly.
– Farmed barramundi are usually raised in groups, so the size of the fish within the same group will be relatively similar. Therefore, if you observe in the fish tank and see that they are all similar in size, it is likely that they are farmed fish.
– Wild barramundi, living in rivers and large lakes, swim very fast and are healthy, while farmed fish tend to swim slowly and lazily.
– The taste of the fish after cooking is the most distinct difference. Wild barramundi, only eating natural food, has firm, sweet, and delicious meat. Farmed fish often eat food mixed with growth-promoting substances and antibiotics, so the meat will be softer and less flavorful.
– The price is also a sign to look out for. Farmed barramundi is usually sold at a price from 60,000 to 70,000 VND per kilogram, while wild barramundi will be twice as expensive (from 110,000 to 120,000 VND).
Delicious dishes made from barramundi
Stewed barramundi with pickles
Ingredients
1 barramundi fish, about 1kg
100g bacon
500g pickles
4 tomatoes
Spring onion
Chili
10g bird’s eye chili
1 lemon
10g ginger
20g fresh turmeric juice
30g purple onion
Herbs
Seasonings: seasoning powder, sugar, monosodium glutamate, salt, fish sauce…
Preparing the ingredients
Clean the barramundi, remove the intestines, without removing the fins and scales, then rinse the fish with salt water to remove the fishy and slimy smell, and rinse again with clean water.
Rinse the bacon with salt water, cut into medium slices.
Clean the pickles, cut into pieces.
Clean the tomatoes with salt water, and cut into wedges.
Peel the ginger, rinse it, and julienne it.
Clean the chili, remove the stem, and cut into thin strips.
Clean the herbs, and cut into pieces.
Clean the spring onion, cut into thin strips as with the chili.
Clean the bird’s eye chili, rinse it, and crush it.
Peel the purple onion, clean it, and mince it.
Frying the fish
Heat a pan with hot oil, add the fish and fry on high heat, turning both sides to make the fish evenly golden. After both sides are golden, take out the fish and drain the oil.
In the pan, add 50g of cooking oil, heat it up, then add the bacon and stir-fry until slightly crispy. Then add the purple onion and sauté until fragrant. Next, add the ginger julienne, crushed bird’s eye chili, and stir-fry evenly. After the onions are fragrant, add the pickles and tomatoes, stir-fry evenly, then add 1.5 liters of filtered water. Next, add 15g of seasoning powder, 10g of monosodium glutamate, 10g of sugar, 5g of salt, 15g of fish sauce, and 20g of fresh turmeric juice. Stir-fry evenly, taste and adjust the seasoning. When the mixture boils, add the fish and stew for about 20 minutes. Then add about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the desired taste and turn off the heat.
Finishing
Place the fish on a plate, then pour the sauce and other ingredients on top. Garnish the dish with some herbs, spring onion, chili, and enjoy it with noodles or steamed rice.
Steamed barramundi with beer
Ingredients
1 barramundi fish, about 1kg
1 can of beer
Rice paper
6 lemongrass stalks
20g ginger
30g ground turmeric
10g turmeric powder
30g spring onion
10g purple onion
30g herbs
1 chili
2-3 lemons
4 cloves of garlic
Vegetables for serving: water spinach, cilantro, bean sprouts, carrots, star fruit, green banana
Fresh noodles
Seasonings: fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ground pepper.
Preparing the ingredients
Clean the fish, remove the scales, remove the intestines without removing the fins and scales, then rub the fish with a mixture of lemon juice and salt to remove the fishy smell and sliminess on the fish. After that, rinse the fish with clean water and let it drain. Then, use a knife to make some cuts on the body of the fish to allow the seasonings to penetrate the fish when marinating.
Peel the ginger, rinse it, and mince it.
Peel the purple onion, rinse it, and mince it.
Clean the lemongrass, crush the root part, and mince the stalk part.
Clean the spring onion, and cut the head of the spring onion like the chili.
Marinating the fish
Place the fish in a large bowl, then add the minced lemongrass, minced purple onion, fresh ginger, minced spring onion, 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper. Coat all the ingredients evenly on the fish, and put the remaining ingredients into the belly cavity of the fish. Marinate the fish for about 20-30 minutes to allow the seasonings to penetrate the fish evenly.
Steaming the fish
Place the minced lemongrass, 2/3 of the herbs, and head of the spring onion on the bottom of the steamer, then place the fish on top. Then pour the beer slowly into the steamer until the can is empty. After steaming for about 25 minutes, add the remaining spring onion and herbs in the steamer to increase the fragrance of the dish. Steam for an additional 5-10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Preparing the dipping sauce
In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of filtered water, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, minced lemongrass, minced ginger, minced garlic, minced spring onion, minced chili, and minced herbs. Stir the mixture well.
Finishing
Place the steamed fish on a plate, and serve this dish with rice paper, served with vegetables and noodles for the best experience.
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