Servings: 6
Ease of Preparation: Medium
This recipe is part of the One BIG Recipe: Cornish Game Hen Dinner
ARCTIC CHAR CEVICHE WITH RHUBARB VINEGAR
Ingredients:
Rhubarb Vinegar:
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) frozen chopped rhubarb (or 3-4 stalks fresh, substitute cranberries if unavailable)
- 2 cups (470 ml) red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fennel seeds
- 2 layers of small square of cheesecloth
Ceviche:
- 12-ounce (340 g) fillet of Arctic char
- 2 clementine oranges
- 2 limes
- Micro cilantro (to garnish)
Special Equipment:
- Cheesecloth
Method:
For the Rhubarb Vinegar:
Measure out frozen chopped rhubarb from the freezer or chop 3-4 fresh stalks.
In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb, red wine vinegar, sugar, season with salt.
Make a sachet with fennel seeds: cut a small square of cheesecloth, 2 layers thick, place the fennel seeds in the middle of the square, then bring the corners across and tie to secure the seeds inside the pouch.
Add the sachet to the vinegar infusion.
Bring to a hard simmer, reduce heat and leave to slowly simmer. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
When the timer goes off, remove the rhubarb infusion from the stove and drain, discard solids.
Cool completely, refrigerate until needed.
For the Ceviche:
Inspect a cleaned 12-ounce (340 g) fillet of Arctic char, running a finger from the tail end to the head to make sure all the pin-bones have been removed. If any were missed, remove them now or during the cubing.
Remove the skin: lay the fillet on the cutting board with the skin side flat on the board. Starting at the tail, press a sharp knife in, at a shallow angle, separating the flesh and the skin. Release enough of the skin that you can grasp it between the thumb and forefinger of your ‘non-cutting’ hand. Hold the skin tightly (‘pulling’) and cut in the opposite direction (‘pushing’), with the knife angled towards (but not ‘through’) the skin. Use long steady cuts to prevent tearing. The skin should come off in one piece with very little meat left on it.
Cut the (now skinless) fillet into ½ inch (1.25 cm) cubes, transfer to a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator.
Combine half of the Rhubarb Vinegar with the cubed Arctic Char fillet, cover and refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour.
Reserve the remaining Rhubarb Vinegar for plating.
‘Supreme’ the citrus: use a sharp knife to remove the tops and bottoms from 2 clementine oranges and 2 limes. Remove the peels completely by cutting strips, from top to bottom, following the shape of the fruit. Remove individual segments by making slices on either side of each of the white segment walls. Flick away any seeds left in the wedge with the tip of your knife. When finished, only the best, juicy parts of the fruit segments, aka, the ‘supremes’, should remain.
Reserve the supremes in the refrigerator until needed (keep limes and oranges separate for best presentation).
Select 6 small serving bowls for the Ceviche and chill for plating.
Before plating, drain the cured Arctic Char, discarding the liquid.
To Serve:
Divide the drained cured fish into the 6 chilled serving bowls.
Top with a few segments each of the citrus supremes.
Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the reserved Rhubarb Vinegar to each bowl.
Garnish with micro cilantro.
Serve immediately.
