Braised Barramundi in Turmeric & Coconut Sauce (Paleo)
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At the age of nine, yellow was my favorite color. Not lemon yellow, not lightning bolt yellow, just a soft pastel yellow. This was the case for quite a few years, and it led to some pretty terrible design decisions 🙈
It was bad. Yellow bedroom bad. Make that two yellow bedrooms: within a few years, I had painted the bedroom at my mom's house and the bedroom at my dad's house yellow. Selecting calming colors for a bedroom really wasn't on my list of priorities at that point...
Fast forward 10 years: I was 19. My car at the time was a bright yellow VW Bug. After ten years, I had grown out of my love for yellow, but it was a fun ride regardless. There were a lot of good days in that car, but the best was the day I bought 20 bouquets of daffodils for a gymnastics meet. Do you know what it’s like to drive around town in a yellow bug full of yellow daffodils? It like you are swimming in a sea of floral, fresh, happy yellow. It's joyous. It's also funny, but it's fun. It made me love daffodils the way I loved yellow a decade before.
Jump up 7 more years, to now. I no longer have the Bug. None of the walls in our home are painted yellow. But on some occasions that same bright, bold, joyful shade of yellow sneaks into the house. It's in a completely different form: turmeric. The color alone reminds me of what it's like to be nine, bringing back visions of childhood.
This braised barramundi is so bright it almost glows. It is super tender. Barramundi is a naturally flaky fish, and braising it makes it even more buttery.
A few of you have asked me about sustainable seafood, especially in Colorado. Barramundi, while not from Colorado is a good option because, when raised responsibly, has a low carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact. Plus, you can get it in the freezer section of Costco!! That's what I used for this recipe (thawed the fish first) and it was great.
The sauce, made with coconut milk, ginger, and turmeric (affiliate link!), is creamy, savory and a has a tiny bit of bite. We add extra red chili flakes on top to add a little heat, too 🔥
I served everything over brown rice, which really soaked up all that sauce, but for Paleo, you can skip the rice or serve with cauliflower rice.
More golden turmeric recipes:
Braised Barramundi in Turmeric & Coconut Sauce
Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side | Total Time: 45-50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 fillet barramundi, cut into 2-3 pieces (I used frozen Barramundi from Costco and thawed it first)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- 1-1/2 cups coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt & Pepper
- For serving: cilantro, red chili flakes
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat coconut oil in a oven-safe skillet on the stove over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger, garlic, and sliced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add turmeric and coriander, and cook 30 seconds more, allowing the spices to toast a bit.
- Pour stock, coconut milk, and lime juice into pan, and stir until combined. Place fish fillets in skillet in single layer. Season generously with salt and ground pepper. Place in oven and bake 10-15 minutes, until fish is cooked through, opaque, and flakey. (Thin fillets (1/2-inch thick) will take 10 minutes, while thicker fillets will take longer).
- Pull from oven and top with cilantro leaves and red chili flakes. Serve warm.
- We like serving this over a bed of rice because it soaks up all that sauce. Cauliflower rice would work, too!
