Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders are moist, delicious, open-faced sandwiches that pack fresh Asian flavors, beautifully grilled baguette and the freshness of a spring slaw, for a tongue tantalizing experience!
Song of the day: "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie.
Asian-Inspired Arctic Char cake sliders feature the amazing rich robust flavor of Icelandic Arctic Char which is available at The Italian Centre Shop downtown, close to their deli counter. We have enhanced the notes of this fish with some fresh hints of ginger and lemongrass, and with some fun chopping formed into a succulent patty full of flavor and texture.
[This post is sponsored by The Italian Centre Shop. We've been compensated but -as always- all opinions are our own.]
Asian-inspired this is one culture that truly inspires me in my cooking and recipe developing. From that day way back in my life when I was introduced to the flavors, till now, it gets me excited to create fusion recipes that for me are fun to come up with and more so very delicious to eat.
I have to say right now my life has taken on quite a bit of stress, family illness, heavy workloads and too much to do have left me feeling like I am at a crossroads in my life. It is at these times that I turn inward and ask for guidance and when I do ask the answer remains the same: go have some fun, do things you enjoy. I have to say the inner advice is good and makes sense. When there is lots of negative knocking at your door and those stress levels exceed that 70 percent mark for me, it is a good time to do something I love doing and one of those things besides losing my self in the music room playing my instruments, is cooking. Not just getting into the kitchen and frying something in the pan, I mean really diving into those creative juices to create a delicious dish that not only tastes wonderful but is also visually appealing.
So, with that being said, that is exactly what I have done. This recipe Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders took me from the folds of stress and overwork to having a smile and relaxing to a delicious zen dinner.
Strolling the isles of The Italian Centre Shop for ingredients to create this Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake slider!
Nothing relaxes me more than going to the Italian Centre Shop and wandering the isles. I love the background noises, the aromas, and all those wonderful and interesting ingredients. I always leave feeling that I have escaped for a bit to someplace else and a smile on my face which makes me feel so much better.
So, as you can see, just a few spices such as lemongrass, ginger, coriander, some crushed garlic and a few other flavor enhancers and we are set to get this wonderful Arctic Char, Asian-inspired. I have to be honest, I was inspired by Jamie Oliver also. I was watching his 15-minute meals and he was creating something similar to these cakes using salmon. What intrigued me was one, the fact that he did not use any egg or breadcrumb to form the patties, and two, the fish was all hand cut. So taking those notes and applying them you can see that the texture of These Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders is a blend of finely minced combined with chunkier pieces of the Arctic Char. This will create a wonderfully moist and tender slider.
I love chopping, I find it relaxes me and I have a chance to keep mindfulness at the forefront of what I do. Slaw is a perfect way to hone those knife skills and when you are done you can dig your hands into those strands of green cabbage, carrots, green onion and purple cabbage and toss it delighting in all those lovely colors. Look at that Arctic Char, doesn't that look beautiful? The color, variance in texture, and the aroma of all those wonderful spices, I am thinking this could easily be a delicious poke bowl! You will have to stay tuned to see if that one hits my creation board.
The other thing is the richness of the fish oils and those spices are enough to hold its shape, just a bit of pressure and a cookie ring and the patties begin to appear.
With the BBQ all fired up and a nice cast pan heating some delicious olive oil we are ready for that sizzling sound as these Arctic Char sliders hit the pan. I love outdoor cooking, hearing our pond and waterfall, the smell of the flowers blooming, the birds playing in the water, boy, that stress is so far from me now.
These Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders smell amazing. I love how the natural juices of this fish in combination with the spices just caramelize on the surface of the patties and those crispy browned bits begin to appear. I also have the slices of baguette grilling, which I better not forget about or we will be having cajun sliders. Excuse for a minute while I tend to the sliders and bread.
I am back, the sliders are all cooked and resting, the bread is on a plate with those grill marks nice and visible, all I have to do is dress the slaw which is easy, a quick toss with a sauce that I created using various condiments in the fridge including mayo, sriracha sauce, chili paste, and a little bit of love, and into the slaw it goes. A quick toss and we are ready to assemble.
I made this open-faced as one it would be less filling and really I wanted to let the Arctic Char sliders shine. Assembly pretty easy: bread, some slaw, the Arctic Char patty, and a garnish of green onion. I bite in and wow the juices of the patty are running down my chin, napkin, please! I love the flavors coming through, that rich robust flavor of the fish, those hits or ginger, and lemongrass, the way the sesame oil and crushed garlic linger in those mixed morsels of Arctic Char goodness. The bread has that slight char and the slaw just brightens everything with its crispness and dichotomy of sweet and acidic notes.
This is a perfect outdoor meal. The sun is shining, there are beautiful sounds and aromas in the air, I think all I am missing is a nice glass of chilled Chardonnay and a comfortable chair with my feet up and I can honestly say I am in heaven!
Get to The Italian Centre Shop and linger in their isles and surprise yourself with something new. Don't forget to stop in the fish section always close to the deli and pick up some fresh Arctic Char, and really enjoy yourself while creating and later feasting on these Asian- inspired Arctic Char cake sliders. Don't forget the wine or a cold beer or whatever your heart desires.
Enjoy!
PrintAsian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders
Asian-inspired Arctic Char cake sliders are moist, delicious, open-faced sandwiches that pack fresh Asian flavors, beautifully grilled baguette and the freshness of a spring slaw, for a tongue tantalizing experience!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main, Fish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Asian inspired
Ingredients
- about 500 g fresh Arctic char
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
- 1 tsp crushed coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- couple pinches Chinese 5 spice
- ½ lime, squeezed
For the coleslaw dressing:
- 2 Tbsp mayo
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp red chili paste
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- pepper and salt
- 1 cup green cabbage shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 2 stalks of green onion chopped into fine rounds
- baguette bread, sliced and toasted
Instructions
- Fillet skin off of Arctic Char.
- Cut fillet in half.
- Using a sharp knife cut fish into fine pieces creating a mince.
- Take second half and cut into small cubes and combine with the minced portion and place in a bowl.
- Add ginger, lemongrass, coriander, parsley, salt and pepper, soy sauce and lime. Blend well, cover, and place in the refrigerator for one hour.
- While fish is marinating, get a bowl and combine all the ingredients for the coleslaw dressing. Whisk well and place in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, combine green and red cabbage, and onion. Toss and set aside.
- Take Arctic Char out of the fridge, scoop some into a 2 ½ inch round cutter, fill to top and press firmly. Release from the cutter and set on a plate. Continue this until all the arctic char is used up.
- Place a drizzle of olive oil into a pan, heat to a medium to high heat and place cakes into pan. Cook for about 3 minutes and flip over. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, take out of the pan and let stand for a few minutes.
- While cakes are cooking, toast slices of baguette in the oven until golden in color.
- Toss coleslaw with the dressing and then place slaw on baguette slice, and finish with the Arctic Char cake and a small drizzle of the slaw dressing.
- Ready to serve. Enjoy!
When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment.
Denise says
That is such a deliciously creative recipe! I would be happy with the char cakes or the slaw on their own but together I bet they are phenomenal!
Hi Denise all the componenets of this slider worked so well together texurally and taste wise. I am so proud of these.
Thank you for your comment.
Cheers!
Loreto
Gloria says
These are cute little appetizers. Arctic char is SOOOOO delicious. I would love to serve this as a brunch item....like for Father's Day.
Hi Gloria, I would love these for fathers day and you are so right sliders are so cute and manageable. They had so much flavor and texture and them being open faced made them a nice portion to eat. Thank you for commenting.
Cheers!
Loreto
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Oooooh - I love arctic char!! And sliders are always fun. Love the Asian spin on here...bet it works awesome with the arctic char! We usually smoke it in our smoker and have on crostini, but this would be such a yummy change up!
Hi Dawn, thank you. Yes the Asian spices work quite well with the artic char and the different cut of the arctic char from the minced to the nice chunks gives a real wonderful texture and juiciness. I love that there is no egg and breadcrumbs, just the good fat and richness of the fish hold it together making the quite lite.
Thanks again! Loreto
chef mimi says
I almost didn't look at your recipe because I saw the word "cake!" I love these sliders. I would have to make them with salmon because I can't get any char, but I think that would work. Love the sauce too!
Hey Chef Mimi, Salmon would work fabulously, so rich and succulent. The key factor in this recipe is the way the fish is minced and cubed, those two textures work well in sealing in all those spices and flavors and play with our tastebuds joyously. Can't wait for you to try these.
Happy Cooking!
loreto
FoodieGirlChicago says
Wow, such an interesting and creative recipe! I definitely need to try these!
I hope you do try these, so simple yet so so succulent, juicy and delicious, Thank you!
Kitty says
These sliders look so fancy, but sound easy enough to make. I'm really into all the Asian spices, especially lemongrass. Can't wait to try out this recipe!
Hi Kitty, Nicoletta will tell you that I always have an abundance of lemongrass on hand. I love how it just brightens a dish. It also marries well with the five spice and other flavor notes in this recipe. A great dish for those beautiful summer nights. Thank you!
Have a wonderful foodie week!
Loreto
Marisa Franca says
We do love our seafood. I don't think there is a seafood I don't like . I would love to try Arctic Char but I've never seen it at the stores we frequent. I think the Asian flavor is ideal to the dish and the coleslaw adds a nice crunch. I'll have to keep my eyes open for it.
Hi Marisa, I have to say the slaw was very complimentary to the Arctic Char slider. Those crisp nicely spiced strands just awakened mu tastebuds and I was in bite after bite, pure deliciousness. Thank you
Loreto
Leslie Haasch says
That arctic char is calling my name! I need to branch out and give that a try - and SOON!
Hi Leslie, I think you are going to love the Arctic Char. Similar to an Atlantic Salmon and loads of flavor and richness. Would love to here your feed back after trying this recipe, Thank you for commenting.
Happy cooking!
Loreto
Michele says
This looks simply amazing! I will be pinning this to try for sure. Asian foods are one of my favorites!
Me too, I love Asian food. The sauces, spices, the techniques. It is a blessing that we can come together and share cultures and learn from one another. Thank you!
Cheers!
Loreto
Anne Murphy says
Now you have me intrigued by the idea of chopping my fish for burgers. Nothing like good knife skills... and the contrast between the mince (which I assume holds it together) and the cubes (which would be firmer) sounds wonderful. I'm also not sure I can get Arctic char (I do not yet really know all the fishmongers in my new neighborhood) but I might try it with another good oily, meaty fish.
Hi Anne, you are right the mince and the richness of the fish holds it together nicely and makes them so enjoyable to eat.You could use salmon or any of the other more rich and soft fleshy fishes. I really enjoyed these I hope you do too, Thank you!
Happy fish mongering!
Loreto
Michelle Blackwood says
I love the flavors of lemongrass, 5 spice and I know these sliders are very flavorful.
Hi Michelle, I too love lemongrass actually any asioan flavor or spice for that matter. They gave these sliders such an amazing taste. Yjank you!
Loreto
Tatiana says
What an excellent choice of fish! Arctic char is perfect with this mix of spices and paired with a coleslaw.
Thank you Tatiana, I really enjoy Arctic Char and you are so right when you say that the spices and slaw are perfect for Arctic Char. It was delicious.
Eileen Kelly says
I love your recipe. Arctic Char is new to me and it looks delicious. Can I order it online? I am from New York and I don't recall seeing this at any of my fishmongers. I would love to make this recipe.
Hi Eileen, I am not sure but I know they do fly it in. I would check on line and also ask your local fishmonger. If you can find it I am sure you will love it! Thank you for commenting.
Have a great day!
Loreto