Cured Arctic Char Recipes

HERB-STUFFED ROAST ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the leaves from 2 sage sprigs, 1 parsley sprig, all of the thyme sprigs and the rosemary; finely chop along with the lemon zest. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil to make a paste; set aside.
• Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Run the back of a knife over the skin of the fish to remove any excess moisture; pat dry inside and out. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cut 4 slits through the skin on each side of the fish with a sharp knife; rub inside and out with 1 tablespoon olive oil, making sure to get inside the slits. Season the fish inside and out with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; spread the herb paste all over the inside.
• Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 130 degrees F to 135 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the leaves from the remaining 1 sage sprig and 2 parsley sprigs; add to the hot oil and cook, stirring, until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

CURED ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Rinse char under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. Mix salt, sugar, mustard seeds, orange zest, and lemon zest in a small bowl, then massage into char. Place skin side down in a baking dish; top with dill and drizzle with aquavit. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto fish. Chill, turning 2-3 times and pouring off any accumulated liquid each time, until flesh is very firm and almost translucent, 2-4 days (it will get saltier and firmer the longer it sits). Thoroughly rinse char and pat dry with paper towels.
• DO AHEAD: Char can be cured (and rinsed) 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
• Place onion in a small heatproof jar. Bring vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve. Pour over onion. Cover and chill until onion is bright pink, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Thinly slice char and serve on lefse topped with crème fraîche, dill, pickled onion, and sea salt.

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.

ARCTIC CHAR GRAVLAKS WITH CUCUMBER JELLY

Steps:

• Pat fish dry, then transfer, skin side up, to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Stir together sugar, salt, and pepper, then rub 3 tablespoons of mixture onto skin of fish. Turn fish over and thickly coat with remaining sugar mixture, then pack dill on top.
• Wrap fish tightly in 2 or 3 layers of plastic wrap (to prevent leakage; salt mixture will liquefy as fish cures) and transfer to a large shallow baking pan. Put another baking pan or a cutting board on top of fish and weight down with 3 or 4 full cans (about 3 lb total). Let fish cure, chilled, turning wrapped fillet over roughly every 12 hours and then replacing weight, for 36 hours total.
• Peel cucumbers, making sure to remove all green (for a clearer jelly), then halve lengthwise and core. Coarsely chop cucumbers and purée in a food processor until smooth, then drain in a large fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on solids to extract 2 cups liquid. Discard solids.
• Stir together salt and 1/2 cup cucumber liquid in a small saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand 1 minute to soften, then heat over moderate heat, stirring, just until gelatin is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then stir into remaining 1 1/2 cups cucumber liquid along with vinegar. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square glass baking dish and sprinkle with dill fronds, pressing gently to submerge. Chill, covered, until set, at least 8 hours.
• Unwrap gravlaks, discarding liquid, and gently scrape off dill. Transfer gravlaks, skin side down, to a cutting board. Holding a very sharp long thin-bladed knife at a 30-degree angle, cut gravlaks across the grain into very thin slices, being careful not to cut through skin. Discard skin.
• Cut jelly into 6 pieces and divide among 6 plates with a metal spatula. Serve with several slices of gravlaks.

CILANTRO-CRUSTED ARCTIC CHAR WITH GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and set a rack 2 inches from the heat.
• Toss the beans with the oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Broil the beans until crisp tender and charred in places, about 4 minutes.
• Stir together the cilantro stems and mayonnaise. Sprinkle each fillet with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and then divide the cilantro mixture among the fillets, spreading to cover. Place the fillets over the beans and continue to broil until the fish is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Garnish with the chopped cilantro before serving.