Fish

Arctic Char

A tier

Arctic char as a market name covers farmed and wild Salvelinus alpinus sold as fillets and whole fish—mild, refined, with a trout-like flake and enough fat to self-baste in the pan. Chefs like it as a salmon alternative with lighter footprint stories when well farmed. Crisp the skin, keep the centre pearlescent, and avoid heavy blackening that masks subtlety. Wild char is seasonal and pricier; farmed fish should still smell fresh and oceanic-cold, not muddy.