Mamuq: So many ways to cook Arctic char

A few weeks before moving to Iqaluit I hopped on board a fishing charter with friends from Resolute and we headed to Creswell Bay on Somerset Island.

Most of the people were keen to get to the lake. Other than stopping to jig a few times along the way. they were quickly out of sight, leaving my friends and I to meander leisurely up the frozen river. It was a magnificent sunny day in June, and we were easily distracted by the flowers, crystallized ice, tea and muskox, so that by the time we got to the lake it was soon time to head back.

I don’t think we actually caught any char on that trip but many people did and they shared!

There are so many ways to make a delicious meal with char. Broiled steaks served with lemon butter are usually a favourite. Sweet potato crust pie is a winning side-dish.

Broiled Char Steaks with Lemon Butter

Ingredients — Lemon Butter:

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp dried parsley or 3 tblsp fresh — finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Beat the butter in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually blend in lemon juice, zest and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. This butter is also great by replacing the parsley with dill.

Broiled Char Steaks

If the char you have is frozen, do not thaw it first as it is generally juicier when cooked from the frozen state. Spread a thin layer of lemon butter on both sides of as many of the 3/4 to 1 inch thick char steaks that you will need and place them on a lightly greased broiler pan.

Place the pan in a preheated oven so that the fish is between 2 to 4 inches from the heat source. If your steaks are frozen, lower the oven rack to prevent overcooking the top layer.

Broil the steaks on both sides, turning them once. If they are 3/4 to 1 inch thick and not frozen they generally cook in less than 10 minutes; if frozen, up to 20 minutes. Leave the oven door slightly open so you can check on them. The char is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork

Immediately after taking them out of the oven, add a dollop of the lemon butter onto each steak to melt and serve while hot and tender.

Sweet Potato Crust Veggie Pie

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized sweet potato (yam)
2 medium regular potatoes scrubbed clean

1 small onion
2 eggs
2 tblsp all purpose flour salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
2 tbslp oil
3-4 cups broccoli and cauliflower pieces paprika for sprinkling

Directions:

Peel and grate the sweet potato. Scrub and grate the regular potatoes with peel on. Finely chop the small onion and combine all this in a bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, pepper and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

For one big crust, lightly grease a 9×9 inch pie plate and spread the mixture evenly working it up the sides of the plate. For individual crusts, use regular or large sized non-stick muffin tins and spread the mix evenly on the bottom and up the sides. It’s enough for 12-15 individual crusts using regular tins and 8-10 using large ones.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes for the individual crusts and 45-50 minutes for one big crust. Remove from oven and brush lightly with oil. Return and cook for another few minutes at 450š until slightly golden.

Remove and sprinkle some cheese on the bottom, place the broccoli and cauliflower stems next and top with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle with paprika and broil until the cheese is bubbling. Serve right away.

If sweet potatoes are not available this can be made with regular potatoes. The crusts can also be made ahead of time and frozen for a few weeks in an airtight container. Bon Appetit!