From Enrico Perin

This recipe is one that Enrico Perin includes on the menu at Antica Osteria La Muda in San Boldo. It enhances the flavour of a mountain fish – the Arctic char – which belongs to the large family of salmonids. It’s simple to prepare and uses just a few traditional ingredients found in any vegetable garden, enhanced with a fresh creative twist which is all his own.

Ingredients

For 2 people

1 Arctic char approximately 700/800 g
300 grams of Radicchio (second season)
3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
1 knob of butter
Fresh herbs (thyme, sage, savory, oregano,
lemon balm, mint, chives, parsley)
Mustard
Piave Vecchio cheese
Toasted hazelnuts
Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil to taste
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil to taste

Method

• Remove the fins and tail of the char, then gut it and remove the scales. Fillet the fish keeping the skin on, remove the side bones using tweezers, and finally wash and dry the fillets. Melt a knob of butter in a pan with a clove of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme and savory. Brown the fillets for a few seconds on both sides, remove from the heat, spread a light layer of mustard on each fillet, and add salt and pepper.
• Add the chopped fresh herbs and grated lemon peel to the breadcrumbs. Season the flavoured breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and the grated Piave Vecchio cheese.
• Sprinkle each fillet with the flavoured breadcrumbs and ensure they stick to the fillets as much as possible.
• Place the coated fillets on a baking tray on top of a sheet of lightly greased baking paper and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 200°C (times may vary depending on the thickness of the char fillets).
• Sprinkle with the chopped toasted hazelnuts and serve

Photo credits: Mattia Mionetto

[Article originally published in Visit Conegliano Valdobbiadene magazine Fall Winter 2023. The entire magazine is available here]