Page 71 - Port Douglas Magazine 44

SERVES PREPARATION COOKING DIFFICULTY
2-4 5 35 Easy
PEOPLE MINUTES MINUTES LEVEL

Ingredients
1 x 550 g – 650 g baby barramundi, cleaned
6 fresh lemon myrtle leaves
Paperbark, pre-soaked, for wrapping
Olive oil, for greasing
Lemon aspen, for the fish (optional)
Lemon myrtle rice, to serve

For the lemon myrtle butter
40 g butter, softened
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground lemon myrtle
A pinch of salt
For the lemon myrtle rice
3 cups jasmine rice
3 ½ cups water
2 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp ground lemon myrtle
40 g butter
1 tsp salt
Resting time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the lemon myrtle butter, in a small bowl,
combine the ingredients. Mix well to combine, then
set aside.
2. To make the lemon myrtle garlic butter rice, wash rice
under tap water to remove extra starch, until the water
runs clear. Combine with water in a medium saucepan,
then cook on high heat for 15 minutes uncovered, then
reduce to medium and cook, covered for a further
minutes, or until the rice is fluffy and all the liquid has
evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to stand
for 10 minutes, then stir through garlic salt, lemon
myrtle, butter and salt through the rice with a fork.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jiwon Kim 3. While the rice is standing, preheat a barbecue. Lay
the soaked paperbark on a large sheet of foil large
enough to enclose the fish when wrapped. Place a
large sheet of baking paper over the paperbark, to
prevent sticking. Grease the baking paper with a little
drizzle of olive oil.
4. Pat the barramundi dry with paper towel, then use a
sharp knife to cut 2-3 slits into the sides of the fish.
Transfer to the greased baking paper, then stuff the
slits with lemon myrtle leaves and the cavity with
lemon aspen. Spread the lemon myrtle butter all over
Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) the fish, then wrap the fish with the baking paper,
paperbark and foil, leaving a small opening to allow
is an aromatic Australian native tree for steam to escape.
renowned for its strong lemon scent and
flavour. It’s used in bush food, medicine, 5. Place the wrapped fish parcel onto the barbecue and
and as an ornamental plant. close the hood. Cook for 10 minutes, then seal the foil
parcel, turn and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until
Lemon myrtle thrives in subtropical the fish is cooked through. Remove from the barbecue
rainforests of central and south-eastern and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Queensland, Australia, with a natural 6. To serve, open the fish parcel and serve with lemon
distribution from Mackay to Brisbane myrtle garlic butter rice.