Salt Baked Arctic Char Food

SALT-BAKED ARCTIC CHAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large ice-water bath. Working in two batches, blanch leek in a pot of boiling water until just tender, about 2 minutes a batch. Transfer to ice bath to cool, then let drain on a kitchen towel.
• In a large bowl, combine salt, peppercorns, and orange zest. Stir in egg whites until combined.
• Stuff fish cavity with thyme sprigs. Starting just below head, wrap leek leaves around fish to completely cover, ending just above tail.
• Spread half of salt mixture on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet about 1 inch larger than fish. Place fish on salt bed; top with remaining salt mixture, pressing to cover all but head and tail.
• Bake until salt is golden and firm and the tip of a thin, sharp knife pierced through crust into center of fish is hot, 40 to 45 minutes. Using a knife and spoon, break salt crust and remove in sections. Remove excess salt with a pastry brush. With knife, cut fish into 8 even pieces along spine, then transfer to a plate. Remove and discard spine, then cut and transfer 8 pieces of fish from other side. Drizzle with hollandaise and serve, with remaining hollandaise on the side.

ARCTIC CHAR IN SALT CRUST WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim the fins from the Arctic char. Place the chives, parsley, lemon slices, rosemary, and lemon zest into the cavity of the fish.
• Whip the egg whites and cold water with a whisk until they form light peaks. Add the kosher salt and mix well with your hands. The texture should be like damp sand. Invert a baking sheet, the length of which is 2-inches greater than the fish, and spread 3 cups of the salt mixture on the baking sheet as big as the outline of the fish.
• Place the fish on top of the salt and cover completely with the remaining 6 cups of salt (you may not need all the salt). The salt should be at least 1/2-inch thick all around the fish. Bake for 25 minutes or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees F is reached.
• Let the fish rest for 5 minutes. Crack the salt with a rolling pin and remove the chunks of salt. Peel back the skin and remove the fish from the bones. Serve with Saffron Aioli.
• In a food processor combine the egg, lemon juice, garlic, and mustard. Puree until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• While the food processor is running slowly, pour in the vegetable oil. The mixture will thicken as it emulsifies. Add the saffron, kosher salt, and orange zest. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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.

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 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.

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.