In our attempts to up our game in the healthy eating department we are expanding our horizons in terms of both the types of seafood that we eat and the ways that we prepare it. Swordfish is one of those things that we have eaten occasionally over the years, but not really ranked as one of our regular favorites. They had some nice looking steaks at Metropolitan Market in Tacoma a few months ago and we tried it with a spicy puttanesca sauce. We both liked it a lot and have had it now a couple of additional times.
I did check on it and swordfish is now listed as one of the most sustainable fisheries, so no guilt there. Swordfish also got a bad rap for mercury contamination. While swordfish and tuna are both longer living top predator fishes, somehow people focus on swordfish as the no go species. As with most things, people eating a diverse diet are not likely to ingest enough of this one species to have an effect.
This recipe serves two, so adjust according to the number of people being served.
Ingredients
6-8 oz of swordfish per person, so .8 to 1 lb for two. About 1 inch thick.
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Puttanesca Sauce
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion ( this is optional as most recipes I find do not include onion, but I like adding it)
1 - 2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 - 3/4 cup of fresh green olives sliced (I get these off of the olive bar at our local upscale market. Sometimes these are not pitted, so you have to extract the pit as part of the process. Definitely, pitted works best. I would not use the jarred green olives with pimentos. Some recipes call for black olives, do go with what you like.)
2 tsp of capers
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste (I would start with about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Remember though that both the capers and olives are salty, so don't overdue. It is far easier to add salt than to take it out.
Preparation
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbs of olive oil. Saute onions until they are translucent (3 minutes) then add garlic and pepper flakes swirling or stirring to infuse the oil with these flavors (1-2 minutes). Do not overcook the garlic, as it will become bitter.
Add tomatoes plus about 1/2 can of water. I use the water to get the extra bits of tomato out of the can and to give the mixture some liquid to extract flavors and cook off as the sauce thickens. As with most sauces, simmering on low heat allows the flavors to combine and interact. I keep the can nearby with a bit of water and add it as it is needed to keep the sauce from becoming too thick.
Cook this tomato, garlic, pepper, & onion mixture on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add the olives, capers, and1 tbs parsley cooking an additional 10-15 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken at the end of the process. You will want a sauce that you can get a mounded spoonful of, rather than a more runny level spoonful.
When the sauce is all together and simmering put the pasta water on and heat on medium high until it comes to a rolling boil. Also start the grill (If you are using charcoal you should start the coals heating in the tower when you are starting the sauce so that they will be ready to cook in 20-30 minutes time).
At this time, drizzle both sides of the swordfish with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Allow to stand for a few minutes while the fire is getting hot.
When the water is at a rolling boil add salt (About a Tbs. You want the water to taste like the ocean). Add the pasta (spaghetti or fettucine) and cook with frequent stirring to keep it from sticking. Be sure that the grill is hot and ready to cook before you put the pasta in to cook. It will take about the same amount of time for both to cook.
Place the swordfish on the grill. I like to cook it about 3 minutes, then turn it, cook three minutes, than turn again rotating the piece so that you end up with grill marks that go in two directions on both sides of the steaks. So, about 10 to 12 minutes total. The fish should be fully cooked and firm.
Drain the pasta, retaining a cup of the water. Toss the pasta with about 1 Tbs of olive oil.
Place swordfish steaks on the plate then top with 1-2 Tbs of the sauce.
Place a serving of pasta into a small mixing bowl. Add enough of the sauce to generously coat the pasta. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water and toss until it is well coated. Place the pasta on the plate with the swordfish and repeat for each serving. (You can also just put a mound of pasta on the plate and put the sauce on top of it. The key is for everyone to get equal amounts of the olives and capers.)
Sprinkle the remaining Tbs of chopped parsley over the top of both pasta and fish.
Serve with a ceasar or kale ceasar salad.