Arctic Char, Mole Rojo, Brussel Sprouts Recipe

Toast and rehydrate chiles

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho/pasilla chiles for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the chiles and let soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

Toast bread, nuts, seeds and spices

In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and toast torn bread until golden on both sides, ~1–2 minutes per side. Toast peanuts (or almonds) and sesame seeds 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Char tomato and cook aromatics

Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet and place tomato cut-side down, cook until slightly charred, about 3–4 minutes. Add chopped onion and whole garlic cloves and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 4–5 minutes.

Blend the sauce

Drain chiles, reserving 1/2 cup of soaking liquid. In a blender combine soaked chiles, charred tomato, cooked onion and garlic, toasted bread, nuts, sesame seeds, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, brown sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup stock. Blend on high until very smooth, adding reserved soaking liquid and additional stock as needed to reach a pourable, thick sauce consistency (about 1–1¼ cups total liquid).

Simmer and finish

Pour blended sauce into a small saucepan and simmer gently over low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped dark chocolate until melted and incorporated. Taste and season with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; adjust sweetness or acidity as desired with more brown sugar or vinegar. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil, ¾ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper on a rimmed baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast for 18–22 minutes until deeply browned at the edges and tender, shaking the pan once halfway through.

Remove from oven and while still hot, drizzle with honey and lemon juice; toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm until plating.

Pat char fillets dry with paper towels. Season skin and flesh with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper, divided among fillets.

Heat a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil and swirl to coat. Place fillets skin-side down and press gently for 20 seconds to ensure full contact. Cook skin-side down without moving 4–5 minutes, until skin is crisp and the flesh is cooked about two-thirds of the way up.

Flip fillets carefully, add 1 tablespoon butter, and baste the tops for 30–60 seconds until just cooked through (internal temperature ~120–125°F for medium). Remove from pan and let rest 1–2 minutes. Squeeze a little lime over the fillets before plating.

Warm the mole rojo if needed. Spoon a generous smear or pool (~2–3 tbs) of mole rojo onto each plate.

Place a roasted Brussels sprouts cluster to one side of the mole. Set the arctic char fillet on top of or alongside the mole, skin-side up to show the crisp skin.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and microgreens or cilantro. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and additional mole on the side if desired.