5.) Broiled lemon honey Arctic char with citrus sauce
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) is a member of the Salmonidae family and also known as char, common char, alpine trout, alpine char, and sea trout. On sushi menus you will see it as “iwana.” It is native to alpine lakes, Arctic, and sub-Arctic coastal waters.
Thankfully, Arctic char is becoming more mainstream, and with an eye towards upping the sustainability quotient of they seafood they serve, more chefs are substituting it for farmed salmon on their menus. They have embraced its mild, clean flavor and the fact that they don’t have to sacrifice the healthiness factor to serve it – like salmon, it has a high oil content and is rich in omega-3s.
Alexandra Stafford is an blogger from upstate New York and author who has been contributing to the food blog Food 52 since 2010. Food 52 Recipes are simple enough for the novice cook, yet bursting with flavor. This Arctic char recipe brings a burst of life to the milder flavored fish with a delightful citrus and honey marinade.
Broiled lemon honey Arctic char with citrus sauce (Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 small oranges, a mix is nice (I've been using Cara Cara and tangerines)
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3- to 4-ounce fillets Arctic Char
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- Nice, flaky sea salt
- Neutral oil
Method
- Position a rack 3 inches from the broiler. (Note: I can position a rack only 4 inches from the broiler. To get the pan 3 inches from the heat source, I turn over a rimmed sheet pan and set it on the rack—I do this when the fish is ready to be broiled.) Preheat the broiler to high.
- If you know how to supreme citrus fruit, do that, squeezing and reserving any juice left in the rinds, then skip to step 2. Otherwise: Slice off the ends of each orange and the lemon. Squeeze the juice out of those ends into a medium bowl. Discard the rind. (It’s handy to have a garbage bowl nearby for this step.) Stand each piece of fruit on one of its cut sides. Run a knife down the side of each orange and the lemon to remove the skin. Squeeze the juice out of those skins into the bowl, then discard. Remove each citrus segment by running a knife down the side of each membrane and slicing the segment out. Drop it into the bowl of juice. Once all of the segments are removed, squeeze the remaining membranes into the bowl to extract the juice. You should be left with a bowl of beautiful segments swimming in a lot of juice. (If this doesn't make sense, Youtube it.)
- Pour one tablespoon of the juice from the bowl of citrus segments into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk to combine. Add the fillets of arctic char and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the bowl with the citrus segments. Add the chives and a big pinch of sea salt. Stir to combine. Taste. It should taste similar to a salad dressing with perhaps less of a bite. It should not be emulsified.
- Rub a sizzle pan or sheet pan or broiler pan lightly with neutral oil. Remove fillets from marinade, letting excess drip off—no need to pat dry. Discard excess marinade. Place the char fillets skin side down in the pan. Season the flesh with salt (and pepper, if you wish) to taste. Place a sheet pan upside down on the rack (see why, if you've forgotten, in step 1), then place the pan with the fillets in it on top. Broil 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately transfer fillets to a serving platter. Spoon sauce over top. Pass extra sauce on the side.
