'Fred the chef' Aarnes introduces this tasty fight camp treat, a dill-inspired arctic char served with pan seared asparagus and a rich veggie puree.

Regular readers will know that fish is one of my favorite things to cook, especially for fighter diets as it’s so rich in everything needed to recover from a heavy training session and also keep off the extra pounds.

And one of the very best fish for fighters is the Atlantic char. Closely related to both the salmon and trout, char is very common back in my native Norway and across Scandinavia also. It’s a grazing fish, feeding only on natural organic food sources, and so it grows slowly and is a premium product.

Char contains only around 5–15% fat and has a high concentration of D vitamins and omega-3. It can even be eaten raw, in sushi, but I always like to sear and pan fry it in a little olive oil to ensure it’s cooked to perfection.

And, OK, so the crème fraîche is a little bit naughty. But when you taste it you will know exactly why it’s a necessity. Plus, this is a once-a-fortnight kind of luxury meal anyway – and aside from the butterfat content, fraîche is relatively carb free!

And if you haven’t got a trip to the scales on your horizon, you can always pad on a few extra muscles and make this lightweight dish into a middleweight meal by adding some potatoes, rice or pasta on the side.

LIGHTWEIGHT DILL-INSPIRED ARCTIC CHAR

This is a light dish and is very low in carbs. Hearty and healthy, plus it’s incredibly tasty.

You'll need:

  • 2 fillets fresh Arctic char
  • 1 bundle asparagus
  • 1 handful fresh dill
  • 1/2 tub crème fraîche
  • 5 baby corn
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 broccoli
  • 1 leek 
  • 1 handful sugar peas

What to do:

1: Season the fish with pepper and Maldon salt on both sides. 

2: Sear on both sides in a hot frying pan containing a dash of olive oil. Then lower the temperature. 

3: Add the asparagus when the fish is almost cooked through.

4: Dice all the vegetables and boil in a little salted water. This shouldn’t take very long.

5: Carefully drain the vegetables and then mix with the crème fraîche.

6: Serve with more fresh dill to garnish.

Pro tip:

Fred adds, “Make two portions so you have an extra meal after practice the next day. Simply wrap, refrigerate and then reheat the fish in the oven, whilst boiling up some fresh vegetables.”

BABY CORN

Baby corn is a good source of folate, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and fiber. It’s also a source of complex carbohydrates and protein.

DILL

Dill is actually a weed but is laced with antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and dietary fibers. Plus it contains no cholesterol and is low in calories.

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