UntrainedChef
Pan-Fried Arctic Char or Mountain Trout with Dill Potatoes and Zucchini - fish, crispy recipe

Pan-Fried Arctic Char or Mountain Trout with Dill Potatoes and Zucchini

1 hr
2 portions

Crispy whole fish with buttery dill potatoes and a quick lemon-marinated zucchini on the side. Works with any small fish you can get your hands on.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cut off the head and tail with a sharp knife, then make 2–3 cuts through the skin on each side. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle a little salt inside the belly and tuck in a couple of dill sprigs.

  2. 2

    Heat a frying pan with butter and lay the fish in once it's foaming well. Fry on medium heat until golden brown on both sides — you'll know it's done when the dorsal fin pulls away easily.

  3. 3

    Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender, then let them steam dry. Add a knob of butter and some chopped dill to the pot and toss the potatoes through until coated.

  4. 4

    Use a cheese slicer or mandoline to cut the zucchini into paper-thin slices and put them in a bowl. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and season with sugar, salt, and ground pepper.

  5. 5

    Move the fish to a serving platter and drizzle over some of the browned butter from the pan. Arrange the potatoes and marinated zucchini alongside.

Per average serving

502
Calories
kcal
22.1
Protein
g
56.6
Carbs
g
24
Fat
g
9.8g
Fiber
7g
Sugar
170mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pat the fish properly dry before it hits the pan. Any water left on the skin steams instead of crisps, and you won't get that golden crust.
  • Wait until the butter is foaming well before laying the fish in. Too early and the skin sticks, too late and the butter burns past brown into bitter.
  • The dorsal fin test is the honest one. When it pulls away with no resistance, the fish is cooked through. Don't poke it apart to check.
  • Slice the zucchini and dress it with lemon and sugar while the fish fries. Ten minutes sitting in the bowl softens the slices just enough.
  • Let the boiled potatoes steam dry in the empty pot for a minute before you add the butter and dill. Wet potatoes won't pick up the coating.

Ways to vary it

  • If you can't get char or trout, any small whole fish works the same way. Mackerel takes the browned butter well.
  • A spoon of capers stirred into the pan butter at the end gives the fish a sharper edge, if you like that.
  • Swap the dill in the potatoes for chopped chives or parsley when dill isn't around.

Storage & leftovers

Leftover fish keeps in the fridge for a day, two at most, covered. It doesn't freeze well, the texture goes soft. Reheat gently in a pan with a little butter rather than the microwave, which dries it out. The zucchini is best eaten the day you make it.

What to serve with it

A cold glass of white wine or a light beer suits it. Some crusty bread to mop up the browned butter never hurts.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 10 May 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026

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