Roasted Arctic Char with Chickpea Ragu (Northwest Territories)

Arctic char is one of the many cold-water fish species found off the coast of the Northwest Territories, and it's a natural fit for the Nordic-inspired flavours in this recipe.

Arctic Char:
2 tsp. sea salt (10 mL)
2 tsp. sugar (10 mL)
1 Tbsp. fennel fronds, chopped (15 mL)
1 (8 oz) fillet Arctic char (230 g)

Ragu:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (30 mL)
2 Tbsp. butter (30 mL)
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. smoked paprika (10 mL)
½ cup onion, small dice (125 mL)
½ cup fennel, small dice
½ cup red peppers, small dice (125 mL)
½ cup green zucchini, sliced, seeds removed (125 mL)
2 tsp. sugar (10 mL)
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (10 mL)
2 Tbsp. white wine (30 mL)
2 Tbsp. canned whole tomatoes, chopped (30 mL)
⅔ cup chickpeas, cooked (160 mL)
6 leaves basil, chiffonade
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped (30 mL)
2 tsp. kosher or sea salt (10 mL)
2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground (10 mL)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed (30 mL)

For the Arctic Char:
Combine 2 tsp. (10 mL) of salt with 2 tsp. (10 mL) of sugar and the chopped fennel frawns to create a cure.

Press cure mixture on to flesh side of Arctic char, keep at room temperature for 30 min.

Remove cure by rinsing lightly. Pat dry and reserve.

For the Ragu:
In a small pot over medium heat, add olive oil, butter and garlic.

Once garlic has browned, add smoked paprika and cook for 2 min.

Add onions, fennel, red peppers and zucchini, cook for 4-6 min.

Add sugar and caramelize. Once the caramel is golden, add the balsamic vinegar and white wine, reduce by half.

Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, simmer for 10 min.

Remove the "ragu" from heat and stir in the fresh herbs, salt and black pepper.

Place Arctic char in ovenproof dish and bake at 400ºF (220ºC) for 8 min. Remove from heat and rest 3 min.

Spoon the ragu into the bottom of the serving dish, place Arctic char on top.

Finish with lemon juice.