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Char recipes for Baked, Simmered, Fried, Broiled, Poached, Smoked and Grilled char
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Char recipes:
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Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus)
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Arctic char, also known as Arctic charr, Alpine char, Alpine trout, Salmon trout, Sea trout, are closely related to both salmon and trout and has many characteristics of both. Individual fish can weigh 20 lbs but market-bound specimens usually weigh from 2 to 5 lbs.
They belong to the char group of the salmon family and there are two subgroups - a sea-run group with species are larger, commonly weighing 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 to 4.5 kg), and a freshwater or land-locked group range in weight from 1 to 4 pounds (0.2 to 2.3 kg).
Waters:Icy-cold fresh and saltwaters of Europe, Asia, and North America, as far south as Newfoundland, Iceland, and Norway. Almost all store-bought char are farm-raised.
The saltwater variety of char have metallic blue or green backs, yellowish sides, and are patterned with small spots. The freshwater variety are multi-hued, silvery, and similarly spotted.
Flesh color sometimes varies, it can range from white to orange-pink to deep red. The flavor is rich and strong and has been described as a cross between salmon and trout texture ranges from flaky to moderately firm.
Best Cooking:
With their high fat content, Arctic char stay moist in cooking and can be successfully broiled or grilled with the skin on. The skin becomes leathery when cooked. It can be removed either before or after cooking. It is delicious when Cold- or hot-smoke, baked or pan-seared, fryed, poached, or steamed, whole fish or fillets. Whole char can be stuffed prior to baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Arctic Char is often baked with olive oil and butter and popular seasonings such as dill, lemon pepper, and seasoned salt. Grilled Arctic Char fillets are usually marinated with oils or sauces such as teriyaki.
How to buy Char:
Whole char fish should look alive, with skin covered with clear, slippery slime, that is shiny and bright. Very fresh char should be so slippery they are difficult to hold. Fresh char never smells fishy, it smells fresh. The eyes should appear bright and clear, almost alive, the gills should be reddish. Fresh char flesh will give slightly when you press it with a finger, then spring back into shape.
How to fillet Char:
With their thin skin and tiny scales, char do not need scaling and are often cooked whole. To fillet larger fish, place the char lying on its side; insert the sharp, thin knife behind the gills, and cut in an arc down to just above the backbone. Continue cutting parallel to the backbone toward the tail. Bring the knife up at the tail and remove the fillet.
How to bone Char:
To bone Char, use scissors to snip off the pelvic fin (the forward belly fin) and use a sharp knife to cut off the dorsal fin (on the back) and anal fin (the rear belly fin). Using a sharp knife, remove the head, and open the belly cavity, reach inside, and cut through the tiny ribs on each side of the backbone. Pull backbone free, scraping away flesh with a sharp knife. Then gently lift out ribs with a knife. Run you fingers over the flesh to make sure all bones are gone.
Freezing and cold storage:
To store Char, rinse fish under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Fish deteriorates when it sits in its own juices, so place it on a cake rack in a shallow pan filled with crushed ice. Cover with cling wrap or foil and set in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Char will store well this way for up to 2-3 days. It can be frozen for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Value:
Char is an excellent source of heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, it may contain higher levels than salmon. Per 3.5 oz (100 g) raw edible portion it contains 104 Calories, 3.6 g Total Fat, 58 mg Sodium, 16.7 mg Protein, 309 mg Potassium, 0.3 mg Iron, and 0.37 g Omega-3.
Substitutes for Bluefish:
Salmon, Brook Trout.
Notes:
Wild char are available in limited quantities in the late summer or fall and will be fattier and more flavorful. Landlocked freshwater char are highly prized and are found in England, France, and Switzerland. Two-thirds of the world's supply of char is farm-raised. Farm-raised char has reddish skin with cream-colored spots; wild char has silvery skin.
When you serve char, you can enjoy a feast of flavors and healthy eating at the same time. Char is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote good cardiovascular health. Like soy, lecithin and lycopene, omega-3 fatty acids have taken their place atop a short list of heart-healthy foods.
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