ARCTIC CHAR WITH SPINACH BUTTER
Darina Allen, known as the Julia Child of Ireland, has run the Ballymaloe Cooking School on an organic farm in east Cork for more than 30 years. Here's a lovely dish from her repertoire, a whole fish wrapped in a foil package, seasoned with nothing more than salt, pepper, butter and a sprig of tarragon. The fish emerges moist and juicy, ready for a creamy butter sauce packed with chopped spinach and herbs. Ms. Allen makes it with pink trout, which are plentiful in Ireland, but this recipe calls for Arctic char, which is more widely available in the United States. But you could substitute pink trout (also called coho trout) if you can find it, or large wild trout, or even thick fillets of steelhead trout or salmon.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, main course
Time 50m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Put spinach in a mixing bowl and pour boiling water over to wilt it. Drain in a colander, rinse with cool water and squeeze completely dry. Chop the spinach as finely as you can and set aside.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry. Season fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Put a few tarragon springs in the belly cavity.
- Line a roasting pan with a big piece of foil slightly longer than the fish, leaving ends hanging over. Smear middle section of foil lengthwise with 1 tablespoon soft butter and set fish on top. Smear top of fish with remaining tablespoon soft butter. Fold the sides of foil to the center and press against fish. Twist both ends of foil to make a tight package. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let fish rest 5 to 10 minutes, still in the foil package, while you make the sauce.
- Put crème fraîche in a wide saucepan or skillet over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for a minute or so, until slightly reduced. Add cooked spinach, stirring to coat. Season with salt and pepper and turn heat to low. Quickly stir in 1 tablespoon chilled butter at a time. Each spoonful should be just melted before adding the next, to make a creamy sauce. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest, tarragon and chives.
- Transfer fish to a warm serving platter. Carefully remove foil. (Fish should be cooked through but moist.) Peel away and discard skin from top of fish. Pour any collected pan juices into the sauce, then spoon sauce over fish. Serve with boiled new potatoes if desired.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 635, UnsaturatedFat 21 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 43 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 57 grams, SaturatedFat 14 grams, Sodium 871 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
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Dora Zekeriya
[email protected]This dish was a bit more work than I expected, but it was worth it. The Arctic char was delicious and the spinach butter sauce was amazing. I would definitely recommend this recipe, but be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen.
Rachael Bragg
[email protected]This recipe was easy to follow and the dish turned out great! The Arctic char was flaky and moist, and the spinach butter sauce was creamy and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
Anyango Otieno
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of fish, but this dish was amazing! The Arctic char was cooked perfectly and the spinach butter sauce was to die for. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Douglas Weatherford
[email protected]This was a great recipe! The Arctic char was delicious and the spinach butter sauce was perfect. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Chaudhry Talha Akram
[email protected]I loved this recipe! The Arctic char was cooked perfectly and the spinach butter sauce was so flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
M Jamshed thekedar
[email protected]This dish was easy to make and turned out great! I would definitely recommend it.
Bishnu Rj
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the dish turned out great! The Arctic char was cooked perfectly and the spinach butter sauce was delicious. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Virk Virk
[email protected]This recipe was a bit more work than I expected, but it was worth it. The Arctic char was delicious and the spinach butter sauce was amazing. I would definitely recommend this recipe, but be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen.
Mikael
[email protected]This dish was easy to make and turned out great! The Arctic char was flaky and moist, and the spinach butter sauce was creamy and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
Monan Chakma
[email protected]I'm not usually a fan of fish, but this dish changed my mind. The Arctic char was cooked perfectly and the spinach butter sauce was so flavorful. I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Samuel Kasongo
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! The Arctic char was cooked perfectly and the spinach butter sauce was to die for. I served it with roasted vegetables and it was a complete meal.
Azhar Arslan
[email protected]Just made this dish for dinner and it was a huge success! The Arctic char was flaky and flavorful, and the spinach butter sauce was creamy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Hunadi Marema
[email protected]I tried this recipe last night and it turned out amazing! The Arctic char was cooked to perfection and the spinach butter sauce was so delicious. My husband and I both loved it.
Parvez Khan
[email protected]This Arctic char with spinach butter dish was an absolute delight! The fish was cooked perfectly, flaky and moist, and the spinach butter sauce was rich and flavorful. I served it over rice and it was a hit with my family.