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When biting into a perfectly prepared piece of char, the taste is as clear as the waters it came from. The beautiful colour, the mild yet savory flavour that melts in your mouth and the wild smoke smell, all make this fish a delicacy that is increasing in popularity around the world.
This versatile fish can be prepared numerous ways – grilled, pan fried, poached, baked or sliced into sushi. Like most delicacies, char is available around the world but in limited quantities. Smoked char is considered a delicacy because of its colour, taste and high oil content.
 “Bombay” and Red Beet Infused Arctic Char
Courtesy of Catch Restaurant
100 8th Ave SE
Calgary, AB
Tel: (403) 206-0000
Fax: (403) 206-0005
www.catchrestaurant.ca
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This recipe is from Catch Restaurant in Calgary, Alberta. Catch Restaurant has been open since May 2002. Since then, it has accomplished many awards especially being named Enroute Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2002. Using Arctic Char, Chef Brad and his team create masterpiece dishes that are sure to please yet tickle your palette.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb of wild Arctic Char, cut into 6 ounce pieces
2 oz of Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 medium sized red beet
Salt and white pepper to taste
Preparation time is 2 hours, because of curing.
Juice the red beet and mix in the gin, Kosher salt and granulated sugar. In a shallow pan, marinate the Char, skin side up for at least 1 1/2 hours. The result is a slightly reddish but still orange Char. The mixture should be coarse resembling a gravlax.
When the Char is finished marinating, remove it from the mixture and rub off the excess marinate with a paper towel then season lightly with salt and white pepper. Preheat a non-stick pan and place 2 tsp of canola oil. Once hot, place the Char into the pan and give just a slight shake of the pan to make sure the fish doesn’t stick. Place into a 350ºF oven for about 5 minutes then flip and continue in oven for another 3 minutes or earlier depending on doneness. This is based on a medium to medium-well doneness.
Catch restaurant serves this deliciously prepared Char with a walnut crusted Chevre croquette and Sweet Roasted Cioppolini Nage.
 Arctic Char with Gravlax Sorrel Cream Sauce
Courtesy of L'Heritage Restauraunt Français
5019 - 49th Street
Yellowknife, NT
Tel: (867) 873-9561
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Chef Pierre LePage lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. He runs his own restaurant and loves to cook with Arctic Char. He says he has always preferred cold water fish as the icy waters freeze in the flavour. He shares his recipe for Arctic Char with Gravlax Sorrel Cream Sauce.
Ingredients for Gravlax:
2 bunches if fresh dill with stems
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 cup course sea salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 Tbsp. black peppercorns, cracked
1 tsp. whole allspice, cracked
2 oz. Brandy
2 fresh char fillets (about 2 pounds each) skin on, pit bone out
Mix together sea salt, brown and white sugar, peppercorns and allspice. Rub the mixture on all sides of the char. Put a thin layer of the mixture on the bottom of the cooking dish, lay fillets skin down in the dish and pack the remaining rub evenly around the fillets. Spread the dill and thyme on top of the fillets until the char is covered. Sprinkle a little brandy on each fillet.
Tightly cover the dish and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the cover, flip over the fillets, rewrap the dish and put a weight on top (like a cookie sheet with 2 cans on top). Return to the fridge for another 24 hours. At the end of curing, unwrap the fish and scrap away the herbs and spices. The gravlax will be firm but pliable and slightly translucent. Expect to see a great deal of liquid accumulate in the dish as the fish shrinks.
To slice the gravlax, use a thin, sharp knife. Hold the knife at a 10 degree angle, starting from the tail end, begin slicing the gravlax no thicker than 1/6 of an inch. The slices should be so thin that you can see through the flesh and watch the knife’s movement as you slice.
Sorrel Sauce:
250 ml sour cream
1 bunch fresh sorrel
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 oz. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Put sorrel, dill, garlic and lemon juice in a cuisinar or blender and puree. Add sour cream and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, arrange the gravlax slices on a platter, serve with thin slices of toasted bread and sorrel sauce.
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Marinade for Grilled Arctic Char
1 cup olive oil
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup white wine
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
fresh ground pepper to taste
4 fillets of fresh arctic char (5 oz. each), skin on
Season char with sea salt. Blend all of the ingredients together. Pour marinade over fillets and leave for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove from the marinade and grill as desired. Serve with jalapeno-honey tartare sauce.
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Jalapeno-Honey Tartar Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper, seeded
2 Tbsp. chopped dill pickle
2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. liquid honey
Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly.
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