Tastes like home.
“The paperbark gives the whole barramundi a smoky taste reminiscent of the campfire. If you can’t get paperbark, this fish is still delicious when cooked in foil or baking paper. I’ve made it both ways, and by having the barramundi well wrapped in the oven, the lemon myrtle infuses into the fish perfectly.”
Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo says…
When I think about what food means to me, my family and my Elders, well, food is life. Food is having a conversation around the campfire or the kitchen table. I grew up in Walgett, a small country town between Dubbo and Lightning Ridge. For me, it’s much more than just a town – it’s where I was born, where I grew up, and it will always be my home.
All of us in Walgett lived on the river. We played beside it, swam in it and, from a young age, would go fishing for freshwater cod, yellowbelly and crayfish. I started to cook when I was eight years old. We’d go fishing and share the fish with other families in our community, and they’d share their food with us. We’d cook the fish on hot coals by the riverbank and have a meal or take it home and have an open fire in the backyard. Whenever we sat down together to eat, we’d feed the little ones first, then the Elders, then all the others.
Food is all about community and coming together. It doesn’t matter what background you come from: if you look at other Indigenous people from all over the world, they see themselves as part of their community, they share their food when they can, and they live off the land. We’ve always protected where our food came from – the waterways, the country and the animals – and we’ve survived off the land for thousands of years. We never destroyed it; we just took what we needed.
When I first took my husband Andrew to meet my family in Walgett, my brothers took him down to the river to catch fish. They caught yellowbelly and bream, and Andrew enjoyed that, eating fresh fish cooked over the campfire. When we were back in Sydney, he asked me to cook the same dishes, but of course, I only had the oven. The paperbark gives the whole barramundi a smoky taste reminiscent of the campfire. If you can’t get paperbark, this fish is still delicious when cooked in foil or baking paper. I’ve made it both ways, and by having the barramundi well wrapped in the oven, the lemon myrtle infuses into the fish perfectly.
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 large paperbark sheet (about 50cm long: find at selected grocers, or use foil or baking paper)
4 fillets or 1 whole barramundi, cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried lemon myrtle
1–2 lemons, sliced
1 cup jasmine rice
Sea salt, to taste
Green salad, to serve
Native mint dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon dried river mint
Method
Wet the paperbark by placing the sheet between two damp tea towels for 5–10 minutes, or until it’s damp
but not soaked. (Alternatively, you can use a spray bottle.)
Meanwhile, pat dry the barramundi with paper towel. Drizzle with the oil (inside and out, if using a whole fish). Sprinkle with the lemon myrtle and season with salt.
Place the fish on the damp paperbark. If using fillets, place the lemon slices on top. If using a whole fish, place the lemon slices in the cavity.
Wrap up and tie the paperbark with kitchen string to enclose the fish (or wrap well with foil or baking paper, tying with string to secure).
If you’re using a barbecue, preheat it to medium and grill the fish for 10–15 minutes on each side. If you’re using the oven, set it to 180ºC and roast for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar. Carefully unwrap the fish and serve with the rice and green salad, tossed with the native mint dressing.
AUNTY BERYL’S COOKBOOK: HEARTWARMING RECIPES AND STORIES OF FIRST NATIONS FOOD IS RELEASED ON 31 MARCH.
Published in ed#757
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