+34
Cook, author and teacher Julia Busuttil Nishimura shares an easy recipe for firm white fish with lemon, marjoram and potatoes, inspired by the Greek dish bianco. She recommends using fresh fish from a trusted fishmonger, choosing seasonal ingredients and serving the dish with wilted English spinach for a simple midweek meal or larger gathering.
Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a cook, author and teacher. Her work celebrates simple ingredients, seasonal produce and the joys of coming together at the table.
She's the author of two cookbooks, Ostro and A Year of Simple Family Food. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, Nori, and sons Haruki and Yukito.
"I think there is a lot of pressure if you're not a super confident cook that you're going to mess it up," she says. Inspired by the Greek dish bianco, from Corfu, Julia's recipe for fish with lemon, marjoram and potatoes is super simple and a less intimidating way of cooking fish.
"This recipe could honestly be for a midweek meal when you've got very limited time," she says, "but equally … could be part of a bigger spread if you've got people coming over. "But if a good fishmonger is a luxury you can afford, ask for recommendations. "They know what's really good," she says. The marjoram used in this recipe is more common in Italian and Greek cooking, Julia says, describing it as floral and perfumed.
Julia grows fresh herbs in small pots at home, but recommends keeping a range of dried herbs in your pantry, particularly if you don't have a supply of fresh ones. Get a mid-week boost and receive easy recipes, wellbeing ideas, and home and garden tips in your inbox every Wednesday. You’ll also receive a monthly newsletter of our best recipes. This recipe calls for skinless firm white fish fillets.
Julia says this could include snapper, bream or blue eye. If you have a local fishmonger, you can ask what they recommend. If you don't have fresh marjoram, you could substitute it for dried or for fresh or dried oregano or another "woody herb" like thyme or rosemary. This will change the flavour.
If you're looking for some greens to serve alongside this dish, Julia recommends trimming and washing a bunch of English spinach and wilting it in a pan.
"It's so affordable and it's got a lot of flavour … more flavour than say baby spinach that you'd buy loose leaf," she says. Silverbeet is also a "really excellent" side. In summer, Julia says you could pair it with a Greek salad or another Greek recipe, maroulosalata, instead. You can use water or light fish stock along with the wine.
Julia says she's a "big believer" in just using water in light dishes like this one. If cooking fish feels intimidating, Julia recommends methods that involve poaching or cooking it in the oven as being more fail-safe.
"When it's cooked it starts to flake away naturally," she says. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 3–4 minutes, then add the garlic and marjoram and cook for a further minute. Add the potato and another pinch of salt, stir to coat, then pour in the wine and water or stock.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice to the pan and stir to incorporate. Continue to cook for 7–8 minutes or until the potato is very tender. If the liquid dries up at any time, add a little more water or stock.
Season well with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle on the parsley. Generously drizzle on some extra olive oil and serve with the lemon wedges.
Julia Busuttil Nishimura Fish Recipe Greek Cuisine Seasonal Cooking Family Meals
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The 10 albums we couldn't stop playing last monthNew music from Beabadoobee, Tinashe, Beck, Julia Jacklin and Orville Peck leads a huge month of albums. Here are our 10 favourites.
Read more »
Ryan Holiday, Modern Stoicism's Poster Boy, Shares Four Life LessonsAuthor Ryan Holiday, once a controversial publicist, now teaches stoicism to figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He shares lessons on comfort, discipline, meaning and AI.
Read more »
Australian shares set to rally as bond sell-off reverses and US rate bets plungeAustralian stocks are poised to rise in tandem with Wall Street's positive sentiment, driven by a temporary reversal in global bond sell-offs and a sharp decline in US interest rate hike expectations. The ASX 200 futures gained 0.5 per cent while the S&P 500 advanced on strength in energy and tech sectors. US Treasury yields fell after weaker manufacturing data and safe-haven demand amid concerns over France's fiscal outlook pushed the probability of a Fed rate hike below 25 per cent.
Read more »
Liam Payne’s girlfriend shares unseen video ahead of two-year anniversaryThe singer died in October 2024 in a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina.
Read more »