Pan-Seared Arctic Char with Garlic Herb Butter and Blistered Tomatoes

Crisp skin that shatters under the fork, flesh that stays tender and moist, and a foaming garlic herb butter spooned over everything. This arctic char dinner comes together in a single cast iron skillet, and the blistered cherry tomatoes cook right alongside the fish. It is a weeknight dinner that looks like you planned it all day.

Arctic char sits somewhere between salmon and trout, with a delicate, sweet flavour and a thin skin that crisps beautifully in a hot pan. This recipe builds the whole dish in one skillet: the fillets and tomatoes go in with melted butter and oil, the garlic and fresh dill join the browning butter, and the fish is basted until the skin is golden.

The finish is simple, with pats of melted butter, roasted tomatoes and sprigs of dill on the plate. Plan on about 25 minutes from start to table, including the time it takes to score, season and portion the fillets. Serve it straight from the skillet while the skin is still crisp.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Searing skin-side down in a preheated cast iron skillet gives the fat under the skin time to render and the skin time to dry and turn crisp. Cast iron holds heat evenly, so the fillets keep a steady sizzle from start to finish instead of steaming in their own juices. Starting with a dry fillet and a well-heated pan is what makes the difference between limp skin and a crackling crust.

Basting is the second half of the method. Spooning the foaming garlic herb butter over the fish and tomatoes carries heat over the top of each fillet, cooks the flesh gently from above and seasons it as it goes.

The butter also browns slightly, which adds a nutty depth that plain oil cannot provide. Because the tomatoes share the same butter, they blister and soften in the same pan, so the whole dish is built around one fat and one heat source.

Notes and substitutions

Arctic char is usually sold as skin-on fillets, often in portions from about 4 to 6 ounces. Ask the fishmonger for fillets of similar thickness so they cook at the same speed.

If the skin is thick or the scales are still attached, scrape them off with the back of a knife before scoring. The scoring is simple: a few shallow diagonal cuts keep the fillets flat in the pan and let the seasoning reach the flesh.

A 12-inch cast iron skillet is the best tool here because it holds heat well and can go straight from the stove to the table. A wooden board is useful for portioning and for grating the hard cheese, and tongs make it easy to turn the fillets without tearing the skin.

Salmon or trout are good substitutes if arctic char is not available. Use fresh dill for the garnish whenever you can, but dried mixed herbs work in the seasoning.

• arctic char: salmon or trout fillets of similar thickness, skin-on
• cherry tomatoes on the vine: grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
• dried mixed herbs: 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
• hard cheese: finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

Equipment

• 12-inch cast iron skillet
• wooden cutting board
• sharp knife
• tongs
• box grater
• instant-read thermometer
• spoon for basting