Description
Arctic Char is a flavourful pink-fleshed fish that is related to trout and salmon. Char is native to the arctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere and I was inspired to try it.
Why? Because I am in Canada’s Yukon Territory this week, for the first time.
I am travelling to Whitehorse to teach a course so naturally I looked up the Top 10 foods Yukon Territory in known for. (Doesn’t everyone do that?) The list included traditional First Nations dishes like bannock and smoked salmon as well as wild game, sourdough bread and lots of fish. The fish includes king crab, salmon, trout and Arctic char. I decided to post a recipe for Arctic Char just because I had never cooked it before.
Fish is the ultimate fast food. It cooks in minutes and lends itself to simplicity. This recipe shows off the Arctic char and lets the individual tastes of the citrus fruit come through. Arctic char is a thin fish so it cooks quickly under the broiler. The trick is to have everything ready. At the last minute cook the fish and sit down to enjoy it.
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How To Make Citrus Supremes
Using both citrus fruit and zest brings a sparkle to many recipes and I try to make all my favourites during citrus season but I keep zest in the freezer to use year round. To learn more about that check put this post, Citrus Fruit – How To Use Citrus Zest.
In this recipe for Arctic Char I make a citrus sauce using citrus supremes. What are citrus supremes? They are beautifully cut segments of citrus fruit with all the peel and pith removed. You might think it’s too much work but whenever I serve them, in a salad or on a fruit plate, people love them. I do too so my son grew up getting these succulent segments of fruit on occasion and he knows just how lucky he was.
The citrus sauce is simple so using a variety of citrus fruits is key. Since there are numerous varieties to choose from during our winter I suggest you try something new. On the day we took this photo I used a clementine, a tangerine, a Moro (blood orange) and a Cara Cara navel orange. Along with a lemon it was an amazing combination.
I adapted this recipe from The Side Chef and thought the combination was brilliant.
Let me know in the comments below if you tried this Arctic Char.
More Recipes – Fish Dishes
Click on the text on the image(s) to go to the recipe/blog post.
Arctic Char with Citrus Sauce
Arctic Char is a flavourful pink-fleshed fish native to the arctic waters of the Northern Hemisphere and I was inspired to try it one winter when I travelled to Whitehorse, Yukon to teach.
Ingredients
CITRUS SAUCE
- 1 cup citrus supremes from 3 or 4 varieties of citrus fruit (I used 1 clementine, 1 tangerine, 1 Moro blood orange and 1 Cara Cara orange)
- 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp minced chives (optional)
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
MARINADE
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbap citrus juice from cut fruit
- 4 3-4 oz Arctic Char fillets
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Prepare rack so your fish will be 3 inches from the broiler. Place an inverted baking sheet on top of another baking sheet to get the fish closer to the heat. Oil the bottom of the inverted baking sheet. Set aside.
- Cut off the top and bottom of each fruit using a serrated knife. Set the fruit flat side down and work from top to bottom cutting away all the peel and pith.
- To remove the citrus supremes work over a bowl to catch the juice. Hold the fruit in one hand and cut along the inside of each segment with the other, separating each piece until it falls away.
- When there is no fruit left squeeze the pith to extract the rest of the juice. Reserve 1 Tbsp of citrus juice for the marinade.
MARINADE
- In a shallow bowl combine 1 Tbsp of citrus juice with 1 Tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Whisk to combine. Add Arctic Char fillets and marinate 5 - 10 minutes.
SAUCE
- To the bowl of citrus segments and juice add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp minced chives and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes. Stir to combine.
COOKING
- Remove fillets from marinade and place skin side down on prepared baking sheet. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Set the rack as close to the broiler as possible and broil 4-5 minutes, no more.
- Transfer fish to serving platter and top with citrus sauce. Serve the remaining sauce of the side.
Notes
CHIVES - I love snipping some fresh chives from my garden from early spring right into the fall. This is a winter dish when citrus fruit is in season and chives are no where to be found. If you want to buy them they do look nice.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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