Much like its cousins salmon and trout, this northern swimmer is a good source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), two superstar omega-3 fats that may reduce the risk for heart failure and depression.
Unlike salmon, land-based contained farming practices for arctic char aren’t linked to pollution or escapes into the wild, so it’s fine to opt for farmed over wild-caught (which is very hard to come by anyway). Generally milder tasting than salmon, char takes well to lively salsas such as this mango-infused one.
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup (80 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh mint
2 tsp (10 mL) orange zest
2 Tbsp (30 mL) orange juice
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt, divided
1 1/2 lb (750 g) arctic char fillets, cut into 4 equal-sized pieces
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly grated black pepper
Combine mango, avocado, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, mint, orange zest, orange juice, and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt in large bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Rinse arctic char under cold water, pat dry with paper towel, and season with remaining salt and pepper. Place fish skin side down on silicone- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes, or until flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
Serve fish topped with mango salsa.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 482 calories; 39 g protein; 20 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 28 g total carbohydrates (19 g sugars, 7 g fibre); 435 mg sodium
source: "Catch of the Day", alive #364, February 2013
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.