Everything Bagel Arctic Char Gravlax Recipes

ARCTIC CHAR GRAVLAX WITH WHITE GRAPEFRUIT

Steps:

• Place arctic char skin side down on a large piece of plastic wrap. Mix 3 tablespoons grapefruit zest, 3 tablespoons salt, both sugars, 1 tablespoon crushed green peppercorns, and crushed juniper berries in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture over fish, spreading evenly and pressing gently so spices adhere. Wrap plastic tightly around fish, then wrap with another large sheet of plastic. Gently poke 24 small holes through plastic (not fish) on both sides of fish with a thin skewer or the tip of a sharp knife to allow juices to escape. Put fish on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another rimmed baking sheet; weigh it down with two 15-ounce canned goods. Refrigerate for 2 days, turning fish after 1 day.
• Remove canned goods and top baking sheet. Unwrap and discard plastic, keeping cure intact. Rewrap in clean plastic and poke holes in plastic as before. Place in a clean resealable plastic bag; refrigerate, skin side up. Chill for 1 more day. Gently scrape off cure.
• Whisk crème fraîche, 2 teaspoons dill, and remaining 1 teaspoon crushed green peppercorns in a small bowl. Season with salt. Thinly slice gravlax on a diagonal and serve on crackers. Top with crème fraîche and garnish with remaining 2 teaspoons grapefruit zest and 1 teaspoon dill.

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.

ARCTIC CHAR WITH ARTICHOKES AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Toss the artichokes and marinade, zucchini, lemon wedges, garlic, shallot, thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with a paper towel and brush with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the mixture. Stir in the bulgur and 1 1/4 cups water. Nestle the fish fillets skin-side down in the vegetables and bulgur. Return to the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the bulgur is tender, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer the fish to plates. Season the bulgur mixture with salt and pepper, if needed. Add to the plates. Top with the chives.

ARCTIC CHAR GRAVLAX WITH APPLE-PECAN SALAD

Steps:

• GRAVLAX: In a bowl, mix the salt with the brown sugar, dill and juniper berries. In a spice grinder, grind the bay leaves with the peppercorns. Add to the salt cure and mix well. Spread half of the salt in a deep plate. Add the fish fillet, skin side down, and cover with the remaining salt. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove the fish from the salt and soak it in ice water in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Pat dry. Transfer the fish, skin side down, to a rack set on a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight. (wrap tightly in plastic wrap and can be kept in refrigerator up to a week).
• SALAD: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for 7 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the honey and mustard. Add the oil and whisk until blended. Whisk in the garlic and thyme and season with sea salt and pepper. Add the apples and endive and toss, then add the pecans and toss again.
• Using a thin, sharp knife, thinly slice the gravlax on the diagonal off the skin. Mound the salad on plates, surround it with gravlax and serve.