Arctic Char is a pale, fatty freshwater fish with a very mild flavour.
I recently tried it during a cooking class hosted by the Rudolf Steiner Centre at the Village Market in Richmond Hill. The class was conducted by chef Jason Parsons of the Millcroft Inn who prepared tempting recipes with Arctic Char organically raised by Ted the Fisherman, who sells it at Village Market. The char is from pristine springs in the Niagara escarpment. Fed a diet of herring, and raised in natural conditions, it needs no antibiotics, drugs or chemicals of any kind.
Parsons calls it “the Cadillac of fish”. This first recipe is one of Parsons’ “Arctic Char Served 4 Ways”. To see his other three ways to prepare Arctic Char visit www.millcroft.com.
Ingredients
4 pcs of Fresh Artic Char
½ cup fresh parsley
4 tbsp of edible flowers petals such as calendula, nasturiums, roses, onion or chive blossoms
2 tbsps each of fresh chives and fresh basil
1 tbsp of fresh oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsps of olive oil
1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp saffron
2 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh peas or pea shoots (Pea shoots are the choice leaves and tendrils of pea plants. Shoots are typically harvested from snow pea vines, although they can be from any type of garden pea)
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Directions
Combine parsley, chives, flower petals, basil, oregano and salt and pepper in a bowl
Coat the Artic Char with the herb flower mixture
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the Artic Char and cook for 4 minutes.
Turn the Artic Char and add the broth, saffron and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes or until Char is just opaque and the broth has reduced by half. During the last minute, add the peas.
Place the Char fillet on a shallow soup bowl and divide the broth and peas among the bowls.
Garnish with raw shoots (optional) |
