Recipe: Arctic Char a La Provencal?

Seared arctic char with sauted tomato sauce on rice

Ingredients

• 4 medium to large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, in 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) dice
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) capers
• 1 heaping tsp (5 ml) chopped garlic
• 3 fillets anchovy, chopped
• 1 bunch basil, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) + 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 4-oz (115 g) fillets arctic char

Instructions

1. Toss tomatoes with salt in a bowl.
2. Remove 2 thin slices from lemon, then cut each slice into small wedges with rind.
3. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon over tomatoes.
4. Add lemon wedges, capers, garlic, anchovies, basil and 1/2 cup of oil.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set tomato sauce aside.
6. Score fish skin to prevent curling while cooking, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of the oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
8. Add fish, skin-side down, and sear for 3 minutes, or until skin is crisp.
9. Flip over and cook for 3 minutes, until just opaque in centre.
10. Place tomato sauce in clean frying pan on medium heat and cook until warm.
11. To serve, place a fillet on each warmed plate, top with tomato sauce and serve with pasta or rice.

Serves 6

From Vancouver Cooks 2, © 2009, by the Chefs’ Table Society. Published by Douglas & McIntyre: an imprint of D&M Publishers Inc. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Photography by John Sherlock.