Barracuda – Barracuda, the fish. The European Barracuda in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Barracuda
Photograph courtesy of Julia Koefender
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juliakoefender/8710262248/

Barracuda, Bécune Européenne, Brochet de Mer or Spet -The European Barracuda; the Mediterranean Barracuda; the Striped Barracuda.

The European Barracuda is a tasty and firm-fleshed fish. Nevertheless, it is a slightly fatty fish and so it will be on French menus marinated or prepared as grilled or baked filets. Japanese restaurants in France will when available, offer barracuda sashimi.  If the local fishermen and women catch a school of young barracuda, they will be adding their flavor to a fish soup or stew.

   

Osprey also like barracuda for lunch.

Photograph courtesy of Andy Morffew

www.flickr.com/photos/andymorffew/11212243803/

The European barracuda is not large; it weighs up to 3 kilos (6.6 lbs). The fish seen in markets are mostly around 50 cms (20”) in length, though some can reach an impressive one meter (40 inches). All barracudas look like javelins, and that spear like appearance and their fang-like teeth add to their threatening presence.  Worry not; the European barracuda never attacks swimmers.  The adult barracuda is a solitary fish and keeps close to reefs and rocks where it is a prize for spear fishermen and women. The fish’s looks account for one of its French names the Brochet de Mer, the Pike of the Sea.  (Pike, are a freshwater fish and called Brochet in French). The barracuda on the menu will usually be a bycatch and on the menu as a daily special.

   

European barracuda on French menus:

Blanquette De Barracuda – A barracuda stew. The recipes for blanquettes include mushrooms, a cream sauce and usually a white wine.

Brochet de Mer/Spet Grillé au Feu de Bois Accompagné de Carottes et Radis Variétés Anciennes – Barracuda grilled over charcoal and accompanied by heirloom carrots and radishes.

  

Baby barracuda for one.

Photograph courtesy of Claire Rowland

www.flickr.com/photos/clurr/3128507419/

  

Carpaccio De Barracuda - Barracuda Carpaccio. Very thin slices of marinated barracuda prepared as a Carpaccio.

Dos de Barracuda Grillé au Beurre -– A thick cut of barracuda, grilled and flavored with butter.

  

Lightly grilled barracuda.

Photograph courtesy of  Hideya HAMANO

www.flickr.com/photos/mawari/15022038026/

      

Filet de Barracuda Cuisson au Beurre Noisette – Filet of barracuda prepared in a beurre noisette.   Noisettes are hazelnuts and Beurre Noisette is butter melted until its scent, flavour and color resembles hazelnuts.

   

A school of young barracuda

NOAA's National Ocean Service

www.flickr.com/photos/usoceangov/31969091783/

In France’s Caribbean and Indian Ocean departments the barracuda caught may include many different family members.  The giant barracuda, the subject of National Geographic movies, may weigh 50 kilos (110lb) but will practically never be on the menu  as many suffer from a marine toxin.

   

Barracuda

Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/

www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/20306873274/

Barracuda in the languages of France's neighbors:                                                             
(Catalan – espet), (Dutch -barracuda), (German- barrakuda), (Italian- barracuda, luccio marino, luzzo de mar), (Spanish. - barracuda, espetón).   

Connected Posts:

 

Beurre - Butter. Butter in French Cuisine.

Brochet - Pike, the Fish. Pike in French Cuisine

 

Carottes - Carrots in French Cuisine.

Carpaccio - The Tasty, Thinly Sliced, (Ideally Paper Thin) Dish of Meat, Fish, Vegetables or Fruits in French Cuisine.

   

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman 
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2017, 2023.

Barramundi – Barramundi. Barramundi the fish, on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

  

Barramundi

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/20884240411/

   

Barramundi, Brochet de Mer, Perche de Mer – Barramundi, Barramundi Perch, and Asian sea bass. Barramundi is a large and tasty white-fleshed fish and the barramundi on your table in France will come from freshwater fish farms mostly from Spain and Israel. In the wild, this fish is caught in freshwater as well as in the brackish water where rivers meet the sea.  Nevertheless, there are also separate groups of Barramundi that live as saltwater fish.

   

Barramundi caught in Australia, 13 kilos (28 lbs).

Photograph courtesy of Rob and Stephanie Levy

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/391668172/

    

No worries! You will not be served a whole barramundi; the smaller farmed fish mostly weigh three or four kilos (6.50 – 9 lbs) or more and in France, you will be offered a filet or a steak. The large sizes weigh over ten kilos (22 lbs).  In the wild, Barramundi may grow to over 50 kilos (110 lbs). 

   

Barramundi in the market.

Photograph courtesy of Michael Coghlan

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/5250899917/

I thought that barramundi was a uniquely Australian freshwater fish as I knew that its name came from the Aboriginal Australian language.  However, after seeing barramundi offered on French menus, I investigated further.  Barramundi it turns out is also native to the rivers and estuaries of many countries in Asia, including Japan. Despite this fish not being exclusively Australian, it is still Australia's most famous freshwater fish.

 

Barramundi on French Menus:

Barramundi sur Lit de Quinoa aux Légumes de Saison, Sauce au Beurre Blanc – Barramundi served on a bed of quinoa with the season's fresh vegetables and a white butter sauce.

   

Pan fried barramundi, garlic crisps, octopus,

tomato coulis, beans.

Photograph courtesy of Charles Haynes

https://www.flickr.com/photos/haynes/2994524982/

Filet de Barramundi à l’Unilatéral, Crevettes et Pétoncles Poêlées, Risotto de Gourganes, Huile d’Aromates. A filet of Barramundi cooked through from the skin side only. This manner of cooking is considered better for large fish as the flavor and texture are retained. Here the fish is prepared with the meat of fried queen scallops and shrimps and served with a fava bean risotto flavored with aromatic herbs.

   

Barramundi

Photograph courtesy of Matt Chan

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eggplant/8574352464/

 

Filet de Barramundi Crème de Capucine et Pistil Safrané Pomme Écrasée aux Essence de Morilles – A filet of barramundi prepared with a cream of nasturtium, the herb, with added saffron pistils and served with hand mashed potatoes flavored with wild morel mushrooms.

 

Pavé de Barramundi en Croûte d'Amandes  Poêlée de Courgettes au Figatelli et Purée de Pommes de Terre Douce au Curry  –   A large cut of Barramundi cooked inside a covering of almonds and served with fried courgettes and figatelli which is a Corsican sausage of pig's liver, fat and blood; (if you like black pudding you may love this), along with a puree of sweet potato flavored with curry. If you are worried that the curry may be hot, remember that in France, outside of Indian restaurants, curry is used as a very light flavoring.

  

Crispy skin barramundi

Photograph courtesy of Catherine Ling

https://www.flickr.com/photos/camemberu/16801436392/

   

Filet de Barramundi à l’Étuvée et sa Duxelles de Poivron, Courgette et Poireau, Jus de Coquillage au Basilic et Purée aux Olives Noires – A filet of barramundi served with bell peppers prepared as duxelles along with courgettes (the USA zucchinis) and leaks. All is flavored with the cooking juices of crustaceans along with basil and a puree of black olives.

 

N.B. Duxelles is a five-hundred-year-old recipe of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots, and herbs cooked in butter. Duxelles today, as originally, are used a stuffing or as a garnish for egg, fish, and meat dishes and may sometimes be helped along with wine and served with a sauce.  Here the mushrooms are replaced by sweet bell peppers. The original of this simple but famous recipe was created by one of France’s earliest published chefs, Francois Pierre de La Varenne (1618 – 1678). La Varenne named the dish after his employer the Marquis d'Duxelles.

  

Catching Barramundi in the wild in Australia

Photograph courtesy of Ken Hodge

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40132991@N07/4465976334/

In Australia the Barramundi is still caught in the wild; however, even there most of the fish in the markets will come from fish farms. You will pay a premium for fresh wild fish.

 

Barramundi in the languages of France’s neighbors:

   

(Catalan -  barramundi ),(Dutch -  barramundi ), (German – riesenbarsch, barramundi).  (Italian – barramundi), (Spanish - perca gigante and barramundi).

  

Connected Posts:

   

Amande or Almondine – The almond, the nut. The Almond in French cuisine.

  

Basil, Common Basil or Sweet Basil. Basilic or Herbe Royal; Herbs and Spices in the French Kitchen II.

 

Boudins and Black Puddings on French Menus. The Sausages of France II.

 

Coquilles Saint-Jacques and the Vanneaux or Pétoncle. The King Scallop and the Queen Scallop. The Coquilles Saint-Jacques, and the Vanneaux or Pétoncle in French Cuisine.

 

Crevettes - Shrimps and Prawns. Some of the Many Tasty Crustaceans on French Menus.

 

En Croûte (En Croute) on French Menus.

France's Butter Sauces I. The Three Most Popular Butter Sauces on French Menus.

 

French Olive Oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils

 

French Olives on French Menus.

 

Morille, the Morel Mushroom. Morel mushrooms on French Menus. The Mushrooms of France V.

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyrght 2010, 2016.