Pan Roasted Arctic Char with Fettuccine, Summer Squash, & Romesco
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 10 min Serves: 4
Summer brings many great things. One of my favorites is cooking with the slew of fresh seasonal ingredients available and putting together a beautiful dinner to enjoy outside. This recipe is perfect for the patio, and would pair very well with a medium bodied white wine.
Being a close cousin to Salmon, Arctic Char has recently been offered as an alternative, with similar flesh and color and the mildly sweet freshwater taste of trout. The delicate texture and sweetness of the fish is an excellent compliment to the smokiness of the romesco sauce. The pan must be very hot when you add the fish to ensure it doesn't stick and you get a proper sear. If you prefer your fish more well done, make sure to allow for more time in the oven when cooking.
If you have a julienne attachment on your mandolin now may be the time to break it out. If the squash is not cut consistently and at the proper size, it won't cook evenly. Sauteing the squash lightly and tossing with the fettuccine provides a refreshing crispness and balances out the velvety texture of the pasta.
Ingredients:
- 4 6 oz Arctic Char fillets; skin on
- 3 oz flat leaf parsley; chopped
- 16 oz fettuccine
- 4 oz grated Parmesan
- 1 tbl crushed red pepper
- 1 clove garlic; finely chopped
- 2 yellow summer squash; julienne
- 1 zucchini; julienne
- 2 oz olive oil
- 3 oz vegetable oil
- 1 tbl butter
- salt & pepper
Romesco Sauce
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
- 2 tbl sherry vinnegar
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds; toasted
- 1 clove garlic; crushed
- 2 oz parsley; chopped
- 2 oz basil; chopped
- 2 oz oregano; chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saute pan over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds until lightly browned. Set Aside. Place the bell peppers on a grill over high heat, rotating every few minutes, until charred on all sides. If you do not have a grill available, toss the peppers lightly in oil and roast in the oven for twenty mins. Once the peppers are done add them to a food processor along with the tomato puree, almonds, vinegar, herbs, spices, and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil with the processor running until smooth. Set sauce aside.
Bring a pot of salted water up to boil and add the pasta. Stir the pasta occasionally, checking after 3-4 minutes. The pasta should be cooked al dente, tender but still firm when bitten. Poor the pasta into a colander reserving a couple table spoons of the water.
Place a large pan over medium heat and add the 2 oz of olive oil, adding in the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes as well. Saute until lightly brown and fragrant. Add the squash and toss, cooking until tender. Add the reserved pasta, water and butter. Cook until the butter full melts and toss to coat. Reserve to the side
Place a large saute pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil. When you see light wisps of smoke rise from the pan, add the fish. Carefully place the fish into the pan by holding it vertically and slowly lowering, allowing it to roll away from you. This ensures no oil will splash back. Cook the fish over high heat for one minute before placing in a preheated oven. Cook for five minutes and remove from oven. Gently turn fish over and lightly baste with the oil left in the pan. Remove fish from pan and allow to drain on paper towels or wire rack.
Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Place the fish on top of the pasta. Serve with a dollop of romesco and garnish with chopped parsley.