Arctic Char is an ocean fish with a taste similar to trout. This week I made a few different things with a single char. One of the fillets I crusted in seeds and ate for lunch, the other I cured for a few days with whiskey and maple syrup, and the tail-end and scrapings from the spine, I chopped into tartare.
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Seed-Crusted Arctic Char
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
If you’re a fan of fish tacos, you can swap the char with white fish, follow this recipe and serve the fillets in corn tortillas with you favorite slaw.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 or 2 Arctic Char fillets, cut into desired serving size.
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp apple cider or wine vinegar
- a pinch sea salt
Seed crust
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) flour
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower or grapeseed oil
Sweet mayo
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
Marinade
- In a bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients, then add the fish.
- Let sit, covered, in the fridge, for about an hour.
Seed crust
- In a food processor or blender, grind the seeds for about a minutes. Don’t overdo it, you still want some whole seeds in there. Set aside.
- Dust the char in the flour, dip it in the eggs, and roll in the seed mixture.
- In a heavy bottom skillet, heat the oil until it sizzles and is very hot. Carefully add the fish to the pan, without overcrowding it, and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and transfer to a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat with the remaining fish. Season with salt and eat.
Sweet mayo
- Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has disolved.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Arctic char taste like, and can I substitute another fish?
The article describes Arctic char as an ocean fish with a taste similar to trout. The excerpt notes that if you prefer fish tacos, you can swap the char for white fish, follow this same recipe, and serve the fillets in corn tortillas.
Why does the recipe grind the seeds only briefly, leaving some whole?
Step 1 of the seed crust section says to grind in a food processor for about a minute but explicitly warns not to overdo it — you still want some whole seeds in the crust. Partially ground seeds give both a fine binding layer and visible texture and crunch. 
Why does the fish marinate for an hour before being crusted and fried?
The marinade — sunflower oil, soy sauce, sugar, and apple cider or wine vinegar — sits on the char in the fridge for about an hour. The soy and vinegar season the fish all the way through, and the sugar helps the seed crust caramelize during the 2-minute-per-side fry in very hot oil.
