We’re never going to put a beautiful seafood platter on the Christmas lunch naughty list. (That’s practically unpatriotic!) But, there’s only so many ways you can dress up a prawn cocktail before it starts feeling like deja vu with cocktail sauce. Salmon blinis? Been there. Oysters? Brilliant, but a bit predictable. This year, why not swap the same-old seafood spread for something a little more special, like Chef Jason Roberts’ Humpty Doo Barramundi Ceviche with Leche de Tigre – a vibrant, citrus-charged dish that brings tropical Australian flair to a Peruvian classic.
Think silky Humpty Doo barramundi bathed in a punchy “tiger’s milk” of lime, chilli, and ginger, with pops of grapefruit and coriander to keep things bright and festive. It’s fresh, fiery, and just the right amount of fancy – perfect for impressing guests without spending your entire Christmas morning in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
- 600g Humpty Doo Barramundi, skin off
- ½ teaspoon sugar and salt (to season the fish)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chilli (bird’s eye chillies or jalapeños)
- Salt flakes
- ½ red onion, sliced and soaked in ice-cold water for 15 minutes before using
- ½ cup chopped fresh coriander
- ½ red grapefruit, segmented and chopped
- 3 tablespoons lemon agrumato (lemon-infused olive oil)
- Freshly zested lime (avoid the pith as it’s bitter)
For the Leche de Tigre
- 40g trimmings from the barramundi (thin tail pieces or belly)
- ¼ red onion
- 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1½ cups freshly squeezed lime juice (always fresh)
- 2–3 well-cleaned coriander roots and stalks
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice fish into 2-3 mm slices or small 1cm cubes, any trim can go to the leche de tigre
- Season fish with the sugar and salt, mix well and set aside while you prepare the
leche de tigre - Squeeze the limes as close as you can to the moment of serving so they don’t go bitter
- Into a blender add the ginger, garlic, coriander roots, chopped long red chilli, fish trim
and lime juice, process for a few moments and then pass through a fine mesh sieve - Taste the ‘tiger’s milk’ and adjust the level of salt, if too sour add a little sugar
- Mix the leche de tigre with the sliced fish, well-drained sliced red onion, chopped fresh
chilli, ruby grapefruit pieces, chopped coriander and the lemon agrumato - Serve immediately with tortilla chips or crisped.
