Recipe of the Month

by Duane Radford

Grilled Arctic Char
with Honey-Dijon Marinade

Ingredients
● 1 Arctic char fillet or steak (skin on).
● 2 tablespoons olive oil.
● 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
● 1/2 teaspoon prepared garlic.
● 1/2 teaspoon honey.
● 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
● 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
● 1 teaspoon thyme.
● freshly squeezed juice from half a lemon.
● canola aerosol oil.  

This recipe is adapted from “TheSpruceEats.com” website and is ideal for the BBQ season. It’s designed for a meal of one Arctic char fillet or steak—if you’re cooking more than one fillet or steak, adjust the amount of ingredients accordingly. Albertans can source Arctic char from Nunavut and Greenland at various retail outlets—go online for details. Fish camps prepare Arctic char in chowders, baked and grilled, including char sashimi with soya sauce, as an appetizer. Arctic char sashimi is a gourmet dish of thinly-sliced, raw char, characterized by its unique, subtle flavour and flaky texture, a blend of salmon and trout. I’ve been on fly-angling trips on the Tree River (twice) and Ekaluk River where feasts of char were definitely a highlight.

Directions 
1. Wash the char fillet or steak under cold tap water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Add the olive oil, Dijon mustard, prepared garlic, honey, black pepper, sea salt, thyme and lemon juice in a small container. Stir well to make the marinade.
3. Spoon the marinade over the char. Place it on a plate and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour— it’s only necessary to marinade fish for this length of time (the lemon being acidic).
4. Pre-heat your BBQ to 400 F. Scrub the grills with a brush once the BBQ is heated up to ensure they’re clean. Spray the grill with a very light coat of canola oil so the fillet or steak does not stick.
5. Grill the char skin side down for about 5 minutes and then carefully turn it over and let it cook for another 5 minutes. You can vary the cooking time depending on how well done you enjoy the fillet; however, if you overcook the char it will be tough. You can tell that it’s done when it flakes easily.

Grilled char is often served on a bed of mashed potatoes in dining rooms. I like to make creamy mashed potatoes for a side dish. Add a teaspoon of salt to a pot of boiling water. Boil 3-4 Idaho red or russet potatoes for half an hour. Once cooked, drain the pot and add 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of half & half or milk, 1 teaspoon of ground “Garlic Pepper & Sea Salt” and mash well.

Another simple side dish is a diced tomato served with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped sweet onion, marinaded in a commercial “Sweet Onion” vinaigrette.

Arctic char can stand up to a medium or full-bodied red wine or if you’d prefer a white wine—a chilled Chardonay would be my choice. Either a pilsner or lager pair well with char.