Arctic Char In A Broth With Cabbage And Mushrooms Food

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.

ARTIC CHAR WITH WHITE BEANS, WILD MUSHROOMS, AND OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Cut each plum tomato in half lengthwise and place, cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes with oil, then sprinkle with chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Roast tomatoes until tender and dry-looking on top but still moist, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Cool on sheet. Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap; chill. Rewarm oven-dried tomatoes in microwave in 15-second intervals at low setting before using.
• Place beans in medium bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let beans soak overnight. Place dried porcini mushrooms in another medium bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Soak until mushrooms are soft, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, onion, and carrot; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups broth, wine, bay leaves, chopped sage, chopped porcini mushrooms, and reserved mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Drain beans; add beans to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to keep beans just covered, about 2 hours. Season beans to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm beans before continuing.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced wild mushrooms, garlic, and shallot; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir mushrooms into beans. Keep mixture warm.
• Preheat broiler. Grind dried porcini mushrooms to powder in spice grinder or food mill. Brush broiler pan with oil. Brush fish on both sides with oil; place on broiler pan, skin side down. Sprinkle each with salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen (reserve any remaining ground mushrooms for another use).
• Broil fish, flesh side up, 4 inches from heat source until just opaque in center (do not turn), 4 to 5 minutes.
• Spoon 1 cup bean mixture into center of each plate. Top beans with tomato halves, then fish, flesh side up.
• *Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
• **A spice extracted from wild fennel plants; available at specialty foods stores and from zingermans.com

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.