Arctic Char with Cucumber Dill Salad

Ingredients

• 2 arctic char fillets, about 200g each, or substitute salmon trout
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
• 0.5 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• rye bread, to serve

Method

1. Start the salad: toss the cucumber and red onion with the white wine vinegar, caster sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Leave to sit for 10 minutes — the cucumber will soften and release its liquid. Drain off the excess.
2. Stir the yoghurt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and dill through the cucumber mixture. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
3. Pat the arctic char fillets completely dry with kitchen paper — this is what gets you crispy skin. Season both sides well.
4. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Lay the fillets in skin-side down and press gently with a fish slice for the first 30 seconds to stop them curling. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep gold and crisp and the flesh has turned opaque most of the way up the side.
5. Flip carefully and cook for a further 1–2 minutes on the flesh side, until just cooked through and flaking when nudged.
6. Plate the char skin-side up alongside a generous spoonful of the cucumber dill salad, with rye bread on the side.