Easy Arctic Char Recipes

ARCTIC CHAR WITH LEMON-CAPER BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine 4 tablespoons butter, the capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl with a rubber spatula; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread pieces, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.
• Wipe out the skillet; add the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 more minute; transfer to a plate.
• Meanwhile, add the haricots verts to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates and sprinkle with the croutons. Add the fish and top with the lemon-caper butter; serve with lemon wedges.

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 WITH WARM LENTILS

Steps:

• Combine the lentils, bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the shallot, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; set aside.
• Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the fish skin-side down, moving the pieces around so the skin is evenly coated with oil (it?s OK to crowd the fish in the pan). Set the pan over medium heat and cook, occasionally pressing down on the fish, until the skin is golden and the fish is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes. Flip and cook until opaque, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
• Drain the lentils and add them to the shallot mixture. Stir in the celery, mint, pistachios and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Divide the lentil mixture among shallow bowls and top with the fish.

CRISPY SKIN ARCTIC CHAR WITH BUTTER-BRAISED CABBAGE

Steps:

• For the butter-braised cabbage: Cook the bacon in a large high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the butter to same pan, followed by the onions. Cook until the onions begin to caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar and cabbage. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid from the cabbage and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. Stir the crisped bacon into the cabbage and season with salt and pepper.
• For the arctic char: The secret to crispy skin is lack of moisture. Leave your fish uncovered in the fridge 10 to 15 minutes to dry out. Then dry the fish with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, place the fillets skin-side down in the pan, cooking in batches if needed. Using the back of a spatula, press down hard on the fillets for at least 20 seconds to ensure that the entire skin has full contact with the bottom of the pan. This will help to achieve the crispiest skin possible.
• Continue cooking until the flesh cooks and there is only a bit of pink left, 5 to 6 minutes. The skin should be pulling away from the bottom of the pan. If necessary, use a spatula to loosen the skin before flipping. Flip the fish and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute before transferring to a plate to rest.
• Gently remove the fish skin with a paring knife and place the skin back into the pan, flesh-side down. Fry another 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Transfer to a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate, at which point it will harden like a super-crispy fish chip.
• Serve the crisp arctic char over the butter-braised cabbage and top with the crispy fish skin.
• Cook's Note: Removing your fried fish skin to a wire rack will help it harden by letting the air circulate around it.

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.

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 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.

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.