Crispy-skinned butterfish with quandong jam

Quandongs are an Indigenous Australian fruit, prized for their high vitamin C content (twice that of an orange). Originally used for medicinal purposes, their slightly tart flavour makes them a great base for preserves, syrups or baked treats. Here, it's used in a sweet and savoury jam that makes the perfect accompaniment to silky and rich butterfish.

Crispy-skinned Butterfish with quandong jam Credit: Matty Roberts, Andy and Ben Eat Australia

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 fillets butterfish, about 150 g each, skin on
• salt, to taste
• Coriander sprigs and lime halves, to serve

Quandong jam

• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 cup quandongs, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• ¼ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 stick of lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 150 ml water
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and stems 

Instructions

To make the quandong jam, heat the grapeseed oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the quandongs, onion, garlic, chilli, tomatoes and lemongrass and stir for 5 minutes or until just soft.  Add the brown sugar and water, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for  20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat, then stir in the lime juice and chopped coriander.

Season fish to taste with salt. Heat a good drizzle of grapeseed oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fish, skin side down for 5 minutes or until the edges start to turn a golden brown and the fish is three quarters cooked through. Flip the fish and cook for another minute or until just cooked all the way through.

To serve, place a large spoonful of quandong jam on each plate. Top wtih the fish, skin-side up, then scatter with coriander sprigs and serve with lemon wedges.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.