Tag Archives: sustainable

Its a cold and chilly day for a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium but I can not pass up a  chance to visit the seahorses. Once a year I meet the aquarium team that I work with for lunch at the cafe….yum! . We catch up about changes in seafood sustainability, how the Seafood Watch collection I designed to benefit the aquarium is selling and strategize about the future, while dining bayside on succulent sustainable seafood. This time we also talked about participating in the Cooking for Solutions event in May. I will be making the gifts for the chefs. www.cookingforsolutions.org

I don’t think I have ever eaten Artic Char before- it was delicious, fragrant with fennel and orange zest. The fish is deep orange like salmon…. and just as tasty. The recipe from Monterey Bay Aquarium who spent 20 years as food editor for Bob Appetit magazine, Kristine Kidd is below.

After lunch I checked out the Annieglass display at the Aquarium shops. I will back at the end of the month for the opening of a new display on jellyfish —those marvelously captivating creatures —I am fascinated by them!

Arctic Char with Fennel and Orange Recipe
(Serves 4)
Recipe by: Monterey Bay Aquarium Food Editor Kristine Kidd

Ingredients
4 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1-inch wide wedges, some fronds minced and reserved for garnish
2 large red onions, peeled, cut through the stem end into 1-inch wide wedges
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more as needed
4 tsp. grated orange zest, divided
1¾ tsp. fennel seeds, crushed coarsely in mortar with pestle if desired, divided
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Arctic char fillets, 5-6 ounces each
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp. firmly packed brown sugar

Arrange one rack in the upper third and one rack in the lower third of the oven, then preheat to 450 degrees. Combine the fennel wedges and onions in a large bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1½ teaspoons of the orange zest, and 1 teaspoon of the fennel seeds and toss to coat the vegetables.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Place on the upper oven rack and roast for 15 minutes. Stir the vegetables and continue roasting until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, brush a small, rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Brush the skin of the fish with olive oil and place skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top of the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1½ teaspoons of the orange zest, and remaining ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds.
After the vegetables have cooked 20 minutes, place the pan with the fish on the lower oven rack and cook the fish until it feels springy when pressed in the center, about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. For another test of doneness, make a small incision in the thickest part of the fish; the flesh should be just opaque in the center. If it’s still translucent, cook a few minutes longer.
While the fish cooks, mix the vinegar, orange juice, brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon grated orange zest in a large skillet. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer over medium heat until thickened to a syrupy texture, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Divide the vegetables and fish among 4 warmed plates, saving the juices on the fish pan. Stir 3-4 teaspoons of the fish juices into the balsamic sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish and vegetables.
Sprinkle lightly with fennel fronds and serve immediately.