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Pan-Roasted Arctic Char with Thyme-Syrah Wine Sauce

A favorite recipe from the venerable Hotel Mont Cervin in the Swiss mountain resort of Zermatt, this is a light but richly flavored dish. The freshwater char fillets are served with a red wine reduction sauce smoothed with butter and scented with thyme. If the pink-fleshed Arctic char is unavailable, substitute salmon.

Serves 4

For the Sauce

1 cup Syrah or other dry red wine

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon thyme leaves, lightly crushed

¼ cup fish stock (or substitute 2 tablespoons clam juice and 2 tablespoons water)

¾ cup chicken stock

3 white peppercorns, crushed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Fish

Four 6-ounce skinless Arctic char fillets

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon peanut or other vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Make the sauce: Place the wine, shallot, and thyme in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Add the fish stock, chicken stock, and the white peppercorns and continue to simmer until reduced by two-thirds. Strain the reduction through a fine-mesh sieve and return it to the saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the fish: Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook without disturbing until the edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the fish and continue cooking until it flakes easily, 3 to 5 minutes more. Arrange on warm serving plates.

Bring the wine mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then, whisking constantly, add the chilled butter one piece at a time. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, spoon around the fish, and serve.

From Fresh Herb Cooking by Linda Dannenberg