Arctic Char with Orange & Rosemarie Beurre Blanc

With Molly, Brian, Scilla & Adam coming over for the weekend and the following two dietary constraints...no pork and no gluten, Alan and I brainstormed our menu options. For dinner we decided to go with a London Broil, marinated in teriyaki and a fish. Trying to come up with something different, I suggested we see if our fish market could get us Arctic Char. It's a fish that Alan and I both like very much thanks for a great first impression at Nobu (with Susan Morris). I'll always remember that Arctic Char with crunchy baby spinach fondly.

With fresh Char that was literally filleted while he waited, we were excited to try out a new recipe. As usual, I took to Google to see who was doing what with Char. A lot of the recipes paired this semi-firm, flakey fish with mushrooms and other woodsy flavors that weren't appealing for a meal being served on a day with temperatures soaring into the triple digits. Then I found this one on FoodNetwork.com. It was easy to make and turned out wonderfully. The acid-brightness of the orange and the sweetness of the rosemary gave a nice compliment to the fish without detracting from its natural quiet brine taste. And it all paired together nicely with wild grain rice out of the box from Near East. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-best-of/pan-roasted-arctic-char-with-orange-and-rosemary-beurre-blanc-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary plus 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, for garnishing
• 2 ounces heavy cream
• 2 ounces butter, cold and cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 orange segments

Fish:

• 4 (6-ounce) pieces arctic char, skin removed
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2-ounce olive oil
• 2 cups cooked wild rice

Directions

In a saucepot over medium heat add orange juice, white wine, orange zest and rosemary. Reduce to 1/2 cup of liquid. Strain and return to saucepot. Over medium heat whisk in the cream and bring to a low boil. Turn heat to low and whisk in cold cubes of butter. Remove rosemary sprig and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve warm.

Fish:
In a skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, then add to the hot pan. Allow fish to cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove fish from pan and place on top of warmed wild rice. Add sauce around and over fish. Garnish with chopped rosemary and orange segments