Good day — it is lovely outside, just my type of weather (seventies).
I don’t find this fish often enough, but Arctic char is indeed one of my favorites.
Arctic char with lemon, ground pepper, goat cheese, cilantro
It is so simple to prepare (as is the best of fishes).
Approximately 1 pound arctic char fillet (this one clocked in at 1.1 lbs)
2 slices of a large lemon
Ground pepper (I use Trader Joe’s Rainbow Peppercorns as I find it most flavorful), to taste
2 teaspoons of soft goat cheese (for my friends who don’t do dairy — omit if you wish).
Fresh cilantro (or fresh dill, if you prefer) for garnish
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F
Place the char skin side down on a baking pan. Squeeze the lemon juice thoroughly over the fish, then sprinkle on the pepper. You can add the goat cheese now, or after it has finished cooking (I did the latter).
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove, plate it, and add the cheese if you didn’t do so earlier. Add the garnish (cilantro or dill).
This size of fish (1.1 pounds) serves three.
For my side, I ate a sliced yellow heirloom tomato, also topped with cilantro, (to this side, a dash of sea salt might be a fun idea), and I am reserving the other two portions for Sunday and Monday.
You can also use salmon or trout (although I’d cook the trout no more than ten minutes, as it is a thinner fillet.
Thoughts about Arctic char:
They are typically grown in cold waters, such as is found in Canada, Iceland or northern Scotland. While most of what we find sold here in this country is farmed, it is farmed responsibly and sustainably.
Flesh color may range from trout-like, to the deep orange of salmon. This one was an awesome in-between hue, which the camera did not entirely do justice to.
Simply put, I love this fish! I even go ahead and eat the skin, as well.
Sea Vegetable
Of Goats and Greens 