Love Bites: Dan Geltner’s Wild Arctic Char with Shrimp Stuffing

This recipe arose from a “friendship date.” Sometimes there is nothing more fun than cooking for an old friend! I like to try out new recipes with them and see what they think. Friends will always tell you the truth, and will help you fine-tune your dish for the next time you prepare it.

It’s starting to get a little chilly, so I decided to use the BBQ one last time, but this can easily be done in an oven. My friend had caught some wild arctic char, but any whole fish big enough for two will work.

 

For fish:

1 whole fish, like arctic char, red snapper, or sea bass

12 cleaned 31/35 shrimp, fresh or pre-cooked.

1 cup sour cream

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 egg yolk

Hot sauce

Salt

Preheat BBQ or oven to 350F.

Butterfly the fish by taking the bones out and keeping the skin attached at the back. (If you’re not confident in your fish butchery skills, you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you.)

Poach the shrimp if not pre-cooked.

Chop the shrimp in medium dice (about 3-4 pieces per shrimp.)

Combine sour cream, lemon juice, dill, green onions, and egg yolk in bowl, and add hot sauce and salt to taste.

Top the fish with mixture, place it on greased foil, and cook in BBQ or oven for 10-12 minutes.

 

For salad:

1 bunch celery

1 bunch radishes, sliced thinly

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Salt & pepper

Blanche the celery in boiling water for a few seconds. (This is not long enough for it to lose all its crunch, but it sweetens the flavor a bit, and gives it a bright colour.) Slice thinly.

Toss chopped celery and radishes with lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

Serve over fish, top with a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with the following sides…

 

For sautéed rapini:

1 clove garlic, sliced thinly

1 tbsp olive oil

Chili flakes

1 bunch rapini

1/2 cup water

Cook garlic over medium heat, with olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes.  Add the rapini, along with water to pan, and cover well. Uncover when water has evaporated, remove from heat, and toss with a squeeze of lemon juice or your favourite vinegar.

 

For saffron rice, simply add a pinch of saffron while cooking your favourite rice.

 

 

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About Dan Geltner:

A native Montrealer, Dan Geltner’s successful culinary career has taken him to six different countries including Israel, the Cayman Islands, St. Lucia and France. In 2008, he was scouted by world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud to help open his “Bar Boulud” in NYC. Returning to his home turf in 2010, he mastered the art of grilling to become one of Montreal’s top catering chefs. In 2013 he took the helm as Executive Head Chef at Restaurant L’Orignal and was voted Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year by Montreal Gazette readers. He is currently Executive Chef and Partner at Suwu and Pamplemousse Management, and was voted in this year’s CultMTL Best of Montreal as #1 chef. Dan is a chef’s chef – he loves “industry nights,” sous-vide cooking, and Campari & soda.