The great fish of northern Australia steamed in paperbark — a whole barramundi wrapped in soaked melaleuca bark with lemon and native herbs and cooked over coals, the bark perfuming the moist, large-flaked flesh. An ancient Aboriginal method.
For millennia the Aboriginal cooks of northern Australia have wrapped fish in melaleuca paperbark and steamed it over coals — the bark trapping moisture while lending a faint smoky, resinous note. Barramundi, the great estuary fish of the tropical rivers, is the classic catch.
Open the bark and the barramundi steams out moist and white, breaking into big clean flakes, faintly scented with smoke and the eucalyptus-tea note of the paperbark, brightened by finger lime. Bite: tender, juicy, and mild, the fish clean and sweet, the bark lending a subtle aromatic perfume no foil could. The taste of the northern rivers, cooked the old way.
The soaked paperbark traps steam to cook the fish gently and evenly while imparting a subtle eucalyptus-smoke aroma — a natural wrapper and flavouring in one. Cooking the fish whole on the bone keeps it moist; finger lime adds the fresh acid that lifts the mild flesh.
Variations
With other native herbs (lemon myrtle). With banana leaf. Over an open fire. With macadamia butter. Whole on the beach. With bush tomato.
On the Palate
Where Barramundi in Paperbark sits in the Aboriginal Australian flavor cloud
Soak the paperbark until it's fully pliable and wrap the fish tight — the wet bark makes the steam that cooks the barramundi gently, so a dry or loose wrap lets it dry out and lose its smoke.
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 20 min active + 25 min waiting
- 18 min
Soak sheets of paperbark in water until pliable.
Watch outThe bark is ready when a sheet bends into a curve without cracking; stiff spots mean it needs more soaking.
- 26 min
Scale and clean a whole barramundi; pat dry.
- 34 min
Season inside and out with salt; stuff with lemon slices and herbs.
- 46 min
Wrap the fish firmly in layers of soaked paperbark and tie.
- 520 min
Cook over medium coals (or in an oven) about 20 min, turning once.
Watch outListen and smell — a gentle hiss and rising smoke means it's steaming inside; turn it once so both sides cook evenly.
- 63 min
Unwrap to check the flesh flakes at the bone.
Watch outOpen a corner and press near the backbone — the flesh should just flake and look opaque all the way through.
- 72 min
Dot with butter and squeeze finger lime over.
- 82 min
Serve in the opened bark parcel.
