Entree: Greenland – Northern Culinary Region – Nipisa (Pan-seared Arctic char served with seaweed and buttered root vegetables)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Total 45 min

Ingredients

- 4 Arctic char fillets, approx. 6 oz (170 g) each
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup (20 g) dried seaweed (wakame or kelp), rehydrated and roughly chopped
- 1 lb (450 g) small Yukon Gold or new potatoes, halved
- 2 medium carrots (about 150 g), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) rounds
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 110 g)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock or light vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp (1 g) dried dill
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp (5 g) coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a simmer and cook the halved potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the carrot rounds and simmer 6–8 minutes more until both are tender. Drain and set aside.
2. While vegetables cook, rehydrate the dried seaweed in warm water for 5–10 minutes, drain, squeeze gently, and roughly chop.
3. Season the Arctic char fillets with 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) salt and 1/4 tsp (0.75 g) black pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
4. Add the fillets skin-side down and sear 3–4 minutes without moving to crisp the skin. Flip gently and cook 2–3 minutes more until the fillets are just cooked through (internal temp about 135°F/57°C). Transfer to a warm plate and tent with foil.
5. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the cooked potatoes and carrots and toss to coat in butter, cooking 2–3 minutes to heat through.
6. Pour in the fish stock and lemon juice, scrape up any browned bits from the pan, and add the rehydrated seaweed. Simmer 1–2 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Stir in dill and parsley and season with remaining salt and pepper to taste.
7. Divide the buttered vegetables and seaweed among four plates and top each with a fillet of Arctic char. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.