Papillote of Wild Arctic Char
Memories from Baffin Island
Arctic Char is one of the most northern fish in our diets. It resembles salmon and the two can often be interchanged in recipes. Like salmon, Arctic Char is now farmed, and in general, farmed Char has more calories and fat than wild Arctic Char.
- 2 Arctic Char fillets
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 lb. chopped spinach
- 1/2 lime, juice & grated zest
- 1 ounce diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp. chopped shallots
- 1/2 bunch fresh oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350F. Clean the spinach and blanch it in boiling, salted water for about one minute. Drain it, cool it and chop it coarsely into large pieces. Cut a large piece of parchment paper. Cover with 1 tbsp. olive oil and add shallots. Add the garlic, tomatoes and oregano. Place the Char on top. Give it a good screw of black pepper, pour over the lime zest and juice, add the bay leaf and the parsley. Cover it with the chopped spinach and add 1/2 tbsp. olive oil. Close the papillote by folding paper in half lengthwise, and them roll edges together to seal the packets. Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the Arctic Char fillet from the papillote and serve with the cooking juices, boiled potatoes or rice.
Tip: Prepare fish packets up to a few hours ahead of time and keep refrigerated. You can also use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper.
Yield: 4 servings.
Source: Cook Like a Chef (George Laurier), Food Network