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Slow-Roasted Char With Fennel Salad

5.0

(4)

Slowroasted char with fennel salad on a blue oval plate.
Photo by Nicole Franzen

Slow-roasting fish is to cooking seafood what bumper lanes are to bowling: the definition of foolproof—and still pretty fun.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    50 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a mandoline, divided
1 1/4 pounds arctic char or salmon fillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon peel
1/2 cup dill fronds

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 300°F. Bring vinegar, sugar, caraway seeds, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add garlic. Let sit until garlic is slightly softened, 10–15 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add half of fennel and toss to coat. Let sit until fennel softens slightly and tastes pickled, 8–10 minutes.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, place char in a 2- or 3-qt. baking dish and coat with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until flesh easily flakes apart and a paring knife inserted into fish meets no resistance, 15–18 minutes.

    Step 4

    Drain fennel mixture; discard liquid. Toss in a small bowl with lemon juice, preserved lemon, remaining 3 Tbsp. oil, and remaining fennel; season with salt and pepper. Mix in dill.

    Step 5

    Serve char topped with fennel salad.

  2. Do Ahead

    Step 6

    Garlic and fennel can be pickled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

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