If you are looking for the perfect appetiser for entertaining then you have come to the right place with the smoked barramundi and pickled fennel crostini.
Serves: 8 as an appetiser
Prep Time: 30 minutes (begin 2 hours ahead)
Ingredients:
- 1 large sourdough baguette, cut in thick slices
- 500g smoked barramundi, flesh picked into large pieces
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber, shaved into ribbons using a peeler
- 1 qty Quick Pickled Fennel (recipe below)
- 1 qty Dill Crème (recipe below)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to finish
- Cracked black pepper
Dill Créme:
- ½ cup crème fraiche
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 lemon, zested (juice reserved for the Quick Pickled Fennel recipe, below)
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Quick Pickled Fennel:
- 1 large (or 2 small) fennel bulb, fronds reserved
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ red onion, very finely sliced
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- ¼ cup water
- ½ Tbsp fennel seeds
Method:
Make Quick Pickled Fennel:
- Slice fennel bulb very thinly (a mandolin will yield the best result). Toss with the red onion and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add fennel mixture and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and refrigerate fennel mixture until ready to serve (at least 1 hour).
Make Dill Crème:
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until required.
To assemble:
- Grill sourdough slices in a griddle pan over high heat, or under a grill until lightly charred on both sides.
- Top each slice of sourdough with a couple of spoonfuls of dill crème.
- Drain liquid from the pickled fennel and distribute over the crostini. Top with a couple of ribbons of cucumber and smoked barramundi.
- Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with cracked black pepper and the reserved fennel fronds to finish.