Barramundi with warm roast vegie & almond salad

Method

1. Heat oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Line two oven trays with baking paper. Scrub the potatoes, then cut unpeeled into 1cm chunks. Trim and thickly slice the fennel. Put potato and fennel on lined trays, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Pick dill fronds, then finely chop half of the stems. Discard remaining stems. Put chopped dill stems, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and the wholegrain mustard in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.
3. Roughly slice the almonds. In a medium frypan over medium heat, toss and toast the almonds until golden (2-3 minutes). Remove from pan.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Line an oven tray with foil, then cover with baking paper. Put barramundi fillets on the lined tray and rub fish all over with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, skin-side down, for 3 minutes. Turn and grill for a further 4 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, the barramundi can be pan-fried, skin-side down for 3 minutes, then turned over and cooked for a further 4 minutes. If still pink, cover with a lid and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. To test the fish, flake with a fork; if it comes apart easily, it is cooked.
5. Add the potato, fennel, almonds and dill fronds to the dressing, toss to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Divide the warm salad and fish among plates to serve.

Nutritional information

By Jean Hailes naturopath and herbalist Sandra Villella

Eating fish, even once a week, is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, due to the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.

The Heart Foundation recommends all Australians aim to eat 2-3 servings of fish (including oily fish) per week, as this will provide about 250-500mg per day of the marine-sourced omega-3s, EPA and DHA. The Heart Foundation recommends people with existing heart disease should also aim for 2-3 servings of fish and seafood a week as part of a heart-healthy way of eating.

Barramundi provides 200-300mg of EPA and DHA in a 150g serve.

A diet high in vegetables is also key to good heart health, so a generous serve of a herb, such as the dill in this dish, also helps to increase the daily vegetable intake.

The healthiest oil to use is extra-virgin olive oil and is one of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet is recommended as a heart-healthy diet. Almonds are the best 'all-rounder' of the nuts. They are the highest in calcium, have a little bit of iron and help to reduce the 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol.

Variation: The warm salad can be the base of a meal with canned fish such as sardines.