Arctic Char topped w/ Honey Mustard & Pecans

Served with a side of low-fat Risotto, Sautéed Mushrooms & Asparagus

 I love a fresh piece of fish.  Normally, I opt for salmon, when cooking at home.  To try something new, Whole Foods had beautiful looking Arctic Char, so I decided to give it a whirl.  My mom is a great promoter of Arctic Char, so it made me smile to use one of her recipes.  Definitely a great choice… Thanks Mom!

 Serving 2 People…

Ingredients:

• 1 lb arctic char filet (rule of thumb when trying to determine how much fish to order… estimate a ½ lb per person)
• Honey mustard (if you don’t have this on hand, mix Dijon mustard with honey to achieve a similar taste)
• Crushed up pecans (if you don’t like pecans, feel free to swap for crushed almonds, macadamia nuts, etc.)
• Kosher salt & pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Low-fat parmesan risotto
• Mushrooms
• Asparagus

Preheat your oven to 350*F.  Submerge and soak the Arctic Char in a bowl of ice water with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, to prep the fish before cooking.  While your oven is heating up, start to make your risotto.  I normally take the easy way out of this, and purchase a low-fat version, then add whatever other vegetables I’m in the mood for.  In this instance, I added sautéed mushrooms and steamed asparagus. (I do have a great low-fat risotto recipe that is incredibly easy to make.  I will share on a later date.)

Remove the Arctic Char from the ice water, pat dry, and place on a cookie sheet.  Lightly brush some extra virgin olive oil on top, season with kosher salt and pepper.  Spread the top of the fish with honey mustard and generously sprinkle the crushed pecans on top of the honey mustard.

Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. (Once fish is hot all the way through, then the fish is done.)

While the fish is baking, and the risotto is cooking, sauté mushrooms in small skillet with some fresh oregano, olive oil, kosher salt and pepper.  In a separate, larger skillet, fill the bottom with about a ½ inch of water.  Bring to a boil. Once your fish is about 5 minutes from being done, toss the asparagus into the boiling water, and place lid on skillet.  Steam them for 3-3 ½ minutes.  Strain.  Dice up and add to risotto.  Add sautéed mushrooms as well.  (If risotto is not as creamy as you’d prefer, add a couple tablespoons of skim milk.)

Remove fish from oven.  Gingerly, remove the fish from the cookie sheet and serve with risotto on the side.  Enjoy!

xo.jlw