Barramundi with Pickled Chillies

From 'Mexico The Cookbook' by Margarita Carrillo Arronte

This recipe is from one of the Guest Chefs that feature in Mexico The Cookbook: Andrew Logan. Logan is a driving force in Australia’s Latin American food scene and is shows his Mexican cuisine expertise as the Head Chef of Mamasita in Melbourne.

Ingredients:

• 3kg whole barramundi, cleaned and filleted with the skin on
• 2 white onions, sliced
• 100ml lime juice
• ¾ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp organic amaranth
  • For the Pickles:
• 200ml red wine vinegar
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 200ml caster sugar
• 14 fresh poblano chillies, cut into 1cm thick slices
• 2 red chillies, halved lengthwise
• 3½ tbsp Mexican oregano
  • For the Pasilla Adobo
• 10 pasilla chillies, seeded
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 2¼ tsp Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 white onion, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 75g raisins
• 120ml red wine vinegar
• 3½ tbsp honey
• 1 litre chicken stock
• Black pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Divide the fish into 6 portions, season both sides but more generously on the skin side.
3. Roast the fish skin-side down in a non-stick saucepan until the skin is crisp.
4. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the fish and roast until the skin is crisp. Drain on paper towels.
5. For the pasilla adobo, dry roast the chillies and soak for 15 minutes in enough boiling water to cover, then puree.
6. Dry roast the onion with the skin on until blackened; then cool, peel, and coarsely chop.
7. Toast and grind all the spices.
8. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, chopped garlic, and chillies until soft; then add the spices, oregano, and raisins and cook out for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
9. Add the pureed chillies and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat.
10. Add the red wine vinegar, honey, and chicken stock; then cook until reduced and season. Puree and pass through a fine strainer.
11. For the pickles, add the vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a saucepan and bring to the boil.
12. Add the sugar and heat until dissolved. Cool, then strain.
13. Put the poblanos, red chillies, oregano, and pickling liquid in a jar. Let stand for at least a day, but 2-3 days is better.
14. In a bowl, combine the onions, lime juice, 120ml pickling liquid, and salt and mix well. Pickle for 2 hours and only enough to eat the same day, because the onions will be past their best after 6-8 hours. Drain the onions after 2 hours.
15. Heat a dry heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add the amaranth. Once the grains start to pop, remove from the heat immediately to avoid burning them.
16. Plate the fish and serve with pasilla adobo, puffed amaranth, pickled chillies, and onions.