Arctic Char Recipes

OH MY ARCTIC CHAR!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Season arctic char with salt, place in prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with lime zest.
• Combine lime juice, olive oil, sherry, rosemary, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until garlic is finely chopped. Spread mixture over fish and season with black pepper and cayenne pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes, basting with pan juices about halfway through. When the fish is close to being cooked, switch the oven to broil for remaining two minutes or until browned.

CRISP-SKINNED ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Season the fish well with salt and pepper. Cook, skin side down and undisturbed, for 7 minutes. The fillets will cook from the bottom up so that the flesh stays moist while the skin gets so crisp that it crackles; if the skin becomes crisp before the top of the fish finishes cooking (it should look just opaque), flip it over and cook very briefly to finish. Serve with a lemon wedge.

HONEY-DIJON ARCTIC CHAR RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather ingredients.
• Rinse fish off in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place into a deep glass baking dish.
• Combine mustard, honey, oil, garlic, thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
• Using a spoon, coat fillets with mixture. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place into refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Right before placing the fish onto the grill, oil grill grates. This can be done by using a large pair of tongs, folded paper towels, and a high smoke point oil like grapeseed or avocado oils.
• Place fish onto grill, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes. Discard any extra marinade. Carefully, turn fish and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. It is sometimes easier to use 2 heat-resistant spatulas to turn the fish. One to get underneath and the other to assist with turning.
• When the flesh of the fish no longer appears shiny, flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 145 F, it is done. Carefully remove from grill, plate and serve.

ARCTIC CHAR WITH SPINACH BUTTER

Steps:

• Put spinach in a mixing bowl and pour boiling water over to wilt it. Drain in a colander, rinse with cool water and squeeze completely dry. Chop the spinach as finely as you can and set aside.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry. Season fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Put a few tarragon springs in the belly cavity.
• Line a roasting pan with a big piece of foil slightly longer than the fish, leaving ends hanging over. Smear middle section of foil lengthwise with 1 tablespoon soft butter and set fish on top. Smear top of fish with remaining tablespoon soft butter. Fold the sides of foil to the center and press against fish. Twist both ends of foil to make a tight package. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let fish rest 5 to 10 minutes, still in the foil package, while you make the sauce.
• Put crème fraîche in a wide saucepan or skillet over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for a minute or so, until slightly reduced. Add cooked spinach, stirring to coat. Season with salt and pepper and turn heat to low. Quickly stir in 1 tablespoon chilled butter at a time. Each spoonful should be just melted before adding the next, to make a creamy sauce. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest, tarragon and chives.
• Transfer fish to a warm serving platter. Carefully remove foil. (Fish should be cooked through but moist.) Peel away and discard skin from top of fish. Pour any collected pan juices into the sauce, then spoon sauce over fish. Serve with boiled new potatoes if desired.

ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. 2. Season arctic char with salt, place in prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with lime zest. 3. Combine lime juice, olive oil, sherry, rosemary, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until garlic is finely chopped. Spread mixture over fish and season with black pepper and cayenne pepper. 4. Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes, basting with pan juices about halfway through. When the fish is close to being cooked, switch the oven to broil for remaining two minutes or until browned.

SEARED SOY-SESAME ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with half of the sauce.
• Heat a small cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sear the fish skin side up for 4 minutes. Pour the remaining sauce over the fish and swirl the sauce around the pan. Carefully turn the fish, spoon the sauce over the top, and cook for 3 more minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Serve immediately.

GRILLED ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.
• Using a sharp knife, make two vertical slices through the skin of fish fillets, taking care not to cut the flesh; season with sea salt and pepper.
• Place fillets on grill, skin-side down, and grill until skin is crisp and fish is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish and continue grilling until cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle fish with Maldon sea salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

GRILLED ARCTIC CHAR WITH HORSERADISH CREMA

Steps:

• Make the horseradish crema: Peel horseradish with a vegetable peeler and coarsely grate. Combine grated horseradish with sour cream, Dijon, chives and dill in a medium bowl and mix well. Season crema with lemon juice and salt to taste. (Crema can be made in advance; chill until you are ready to serve.)
• Heat grill to medium-high heat if you are using gas; if you have a charcoal grill, you want a nice hot bed of coals.
• Coat fish well with olive oil and season with salt. Set fish on the grill skin side down and cook, covered, until the flesh of the fish begins to turn opaque and the skin is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a grill spatula to carefully flip the fish and finish cooking to medium, about 2 minutes more.
• Spread horseradish crema on a serving platter or individual plates and place cooked fish on top with the skin side up. Garnish with dill and lemon wedges. Serve extra crema on the side.