Australian Barramundi with Winter Vegetables Bagna Cauda and Toasted Breadcrumbs

Name: Australian Barramundi with Winter Vegetables Bagna Cauda and Toasted Breadcrumbs
Ingredients: 6 fillets barramundi, 5 or 6 ounces each; 1 lemon, zested; 1 tablespoon thyme leaves; 3 tablespoons sliced flat-leaf parsley; 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Winter vegetables bagna cauda (recipe follows); Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 heads baby cauliflower, or 1 small head cauliflower; 6 bulbs baby fennel, or 1 large bulb fennel; 1 bunch radishes; 15 baby carrots, or 3 medium carrots; 1/4 pound baby broccoli, or 1 small head broccoli; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter; 2 teaspoons chopped salt-packed anchovies; 1 chile de árbol, thinly sliced; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons thyme leaves; 1 head Belgian endive, separated into spears; 1 head Treviso, separated into spears; 1 lemon, for juicing; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

This dish is the Italian equivalent of the French grand aïoli. In France, a colorful assortment of vegetable crudités is accompanied by a large bowl of garlicky homemade mayonnaise. In Italy, instead of dipping the vegetables into aïoli, they dunk them into a bowl of bagna cauda, a “warm bath” of garlic and anchovy simmering in butter and olive oil. In this dish, I toss my favorite winter vegetables with the bagna cauda and pair them with a meaty Australian bass, barramundi. Feel free to adapt the recipe to your location, season, and cravings. If you’re in the mood for asparagus or potatoes, add them to the mix. And if you can’t find barramundi, this dish is delicious when made with another bass, snapper, or halibut.

Cooks' Note

Season the fish with lemon zest and herbs in the morning or night before. You can make the bagna cauda and prep all the vegetables in advance, sautéing the vegetables in the bagna cauda while you cook the fish.

Recipe notes