BATTERED BARRAMUNDI

Start this recipeh by gently cutting the fillet into 4 equal-size portions, each weighing about 9oz (250g). Season the fish with salt and pepper, and let the fish rest for about 20 minutes in the fridge to draw out the moisture and ensure that the fish will be firm.

In the meantime, sift the cup of flour with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and baking powder into a big bowl to make batter.

Add oil. Slowly add in the beer/ginger ale, mixing well until you have achieved the consistency of heavy whipped cream. Let the batter rest a little bit.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and coat the bottom with 1 tbsp (15mL) oil. Mix garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, and optionally, cayenne in a bowl.

Remove moisture from potatoes with paper towels to ensure that the seasoning will fuse with our potatoes.

Place the potatoes in a separate bowl and drizzle in the remaining oil. Sprinkle potatoes with the seasoning and toss gently to coat.

Once done, arrange potatoes, round side up, onto the baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flip, and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes.

In medium-high heat, warm up the oil in a 5 quart (4.7L) pot, until it’s hot enough to fry your batter (feel free to test a few drips out).

Season flour with pepper. Remove the fish from the fridge, and gently coat it with the seasoned flour. Hand toss the fish in order to remove any excess flour; this step is key to keeping the fillet firm to achieve maximum crisp.

Hold the fish by the corner, and roll it into the beer batter mix. Gently whip the fish in the bowl to remove excess batter.

And in it goes! Drop the bass (sorry not sorry). Once the first fillet is in, move the pot back and forth in order to prevent the fish from sticking to the bottom. Oil should be gently bubbling away and your eyes ever watchful.

Fry each fillet 3-5 minutes, flipping with a holed spatula halfway through. Whenever the batter is golden and crisp, that will be the cue to fish out your now golden clouds of flavor.

Let the fish rest on a paper towel for a few minutes. Finally, serve the fish alongside the potatoes and a salad mix of your choice (I recommend the pre-mixed kind so you don’t have to spend too much more time in the kitchen). (Optional) Decorate with cherry tomatoes and lemon wedge to mimic the pic shown. Enjoy your New Recipeh!