Arctic Char with Miso Glaze and Fried Rice

I’m not really a fish person so when I find a tasty fish that consistently provides me with good flavour and texture, I stick with it.  Arctic Char is one of my favourite fishes and very tasty no matter the cooking method.  I think it is also a very well kept secret as most people have never eaten it or walked by it not knowing it was Arctic Char.  It is usually sold whole; however recently, I’m seeing more of it sold as fillets.  I bought a whole Arctic Char yesterday for dinner and cooked it very simply in a Miso broth.  It is a thick fleshy fish but with a creamy smooth texture when cooked properly, unlike Salmon which is usually firmer when cooked (but another of my favourite fishes).  You must give this a try.

1 Arctic Char (my fish was almost 3 lbs.)
2 Shallots – diced
½ Tomato – diced
1 Thai Chili or Scotch Bonnet – finely diced
2 tbsps. Capers
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ Lemon – zest and juice
Salt and Pepper – to taste

Miso Broth
2 tbsps. Shiro Miso Paste
2 cups Boling Water

You should get the fish already cleaned – this means gutted and rinsed.  It’s just easier – or if you want to Julia Child it, get it un-cleaned but make sure it is really really fresh, now clean it
Make 3 slits that go almost to the center bone on each side of the fish – sprinkle with salt
Combine the shallots, tomato, chili, capers, olive oil, lemon zest and juice – stir – taste, season with more lemon, salt, pepper if needed – taste again
Grab some of this mixture and push gently into the slits in the fish, flip over do the same, add the remaining mix to the center of the fish – pour any liquid remaining over the fish
Make the Miso broth by stirring the paste into the boiling water – when dissolved, add it to the fish in the pan, this will be your basting liquid and reduce to a thicker consistency as it cooks
Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes – baste the fish in the broth every 10 minutes – I know, but it is so worth it.  Continue to bake until the fish is cooked through and the center is just starting to firm up (cooked) – this is one of those fish that can be eaten the way you should be eating salmon – almost cooked through to the center.   My oven is convection, and I always test 5 minutes before the cooking time is done.

To serve, I took a sharp knife and ran it down the back of the fish along the bone to separate it into two halves, removed the skin –it comes off really easily and portioned it out.  Serve it in a large soup bowl with the fried rice and some miso broth on top.

Really simple fried rice – In a frying pan/small wok – add some vegetable oil and sauté – ½ red onion, 1 red pepper, 4 – 5 dried crushed red chilies, ½ head chopped broccoli, soya sauce, sesame oil and chili oil.  When the broccoli is tender crisp, add about 1 cup of cooked cooled white rice (day old is best as the grains are formed and stiffer).  You could also use brown rice or another grain with the vegetables mixed in.  Taste, season with more soya, sesame and/or chili oil, taste – perfect!