Written by Sarah Leah Chase
(July 20, 2023) One in every of my greatest meals discoveries occurred through the first summer season I got here to Nantucket on the age of 13 to work as a mother’s assistant for my aunt and uncle who lived on Union Avenue.
Whereas my household in Connecticut tended to be pretty savvy with meals, I had by no means tasted swordfish and my aunt and uncle often grilled swordfish on a Weber grill exterior within the yard as soon as every week. For me, it was love at first chunk and each chunk after that.
My aunt’s preparation was quite simple, and I included her recipe for Union Avenue Swordfish in my “Nantucket Open-Home Cookbook” (Workman, 1987). She would merely squeeze contemporary lemon juice over it Swordfish steaks, season with salt and pepper, then brush each side of the steaks with a layer of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise was the key ingredient that magically stored the fish moist your complete time it was on the charcoal grill. As soon as the swordfish steaks had been cooked by way of and heated off the grill, she would prime every fillet with a big dollop of butter, a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley, and prime the fish with a plate or two of additional lemon.
All these years later, I nonetheless consider swordfish as the proper summer season Nantucket dinner and It is typically arrange within the Union Avenue model for nostalgia’s sake. On the similar time, I later developed a bunch of different swordfish recipes that I actually get pleasure from. The present problem we’re all dealing with because of the uncommon bout of cloudy climate and rain that is plagued us this month (some are calling it “no-sky July”) is that dinner hour thunderstorms and outside barbecue do not fairly go collectively.
On these uncommon events when the climate is in the midst of summer season An evening’s dream, I get pleasure from grilling swordfish steaks in a Sicilian-inspired manner, topped with a sauce referred to as salmoreglio: a vibrant mix of fruity olive oil, minced garlic, lemon and contemporary oregano.
I name my recipe Swordfish Oreganata as a result of oreganata is less complicated to pronounce than salmoriglio. I tailored the recipe from one in all my favourite fish cookbooks, Ivan Kleiman’s now out-of-print “Cucina del Mare: Fish and Seafood Italian Type” (William Morrow, 1993). Luckily, used copies of this excellent guide are nonetheless out there on Amazon.
For evenings when grilling is not a viable possibility but swordfish cravings do exist, I have been trying ahead to creating a swordfish piccata. This recipe has its origins within the Nineteen Eighties and Nantucket catering days, the place I first got here up with the preparation on the request of the house owners of Horchow Catalog for a summer season feast they had been internet hosting at their Cliff Highway dwelling.
Very like the most typical Rooster Piccata Recipe Swordfish is thinly sliced to resemble rooster scallops, coated in seasoned flour, rapidly sautéed in a skillet till browned on each side after which coated with a sauce made by lowering white wine and lemon juice and emulsifying the discount with butter to acquire a silky consistency. Whereas the recipe will not make the rain go away, the dish’s wealthy lemony taste one way or the other works to convey a sunny summer season vibe.
Swordfish Oreganata
salmoreglio (oregano sauce):
1 cup of top quality additional virgin olive oil
1/2 cup scorching water from the faucet
5 tablespoons of contemporary lemon juice
1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon peel
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped contemporary oregano
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped contemporary parsley
swordfish:
3 kilos contemporary swordfish center-cut, at the very least 1-inch thick, minimize into 6 steak items
3 tablespoons of contemporary lemon juice
3 tablespoons of additional virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly floor black pepper to style
- To make the oregano dressing, pour the olive oil right into a 1-quart glass jar or stainless mixing bowl. Run faucet water till it is rather scorching to the contact, then fill a measuring cup with a spout with 1/2 cup of scorching water. Slowly pour the water into the olive oil in a really skinny stream, whisking consistently. Whisk in lemon juice and zest, then add garlic, oregano, and parsley. Go away it for at the very least half-hour to mix the flavors.
- Whenever you’re able to grill, arrange a charcoal or fuel grill to grill over medium-high warmth. Place the swordfish steaks on a big platter and brush frivolously with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season generously on each side with salt and pepper. Go away it at room temperature for 10 to fifteen minutes.
- When the hearth is prepared, oil the grill grate. Place the swordfish steaks on the grill, cowl with the lid and cook dinner for five minutes. You may give the steaks 1 / 4 flip after 2-1/2 or 3 minutes if you need the fish to have good grill marks. Flip the steaks and proceed grilling till cooked by way of within the middle, 4 to six extra minutes, relying on the thickness of the steaks. Take away from grill and place on dinner plates. Shortly stir the oregano to re-emulsify it, then spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce over every swordfish steak. Serve it as soon as.
6 companies.
Swordfish Picata
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of black pepper or black pepper
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
2 kilos contemporary swordfish, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/3 inch) to resemble veal or rooster scallopini
3 tablespoons of additional virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup contemporary lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chopped contemporary parsley
Lemon slices for adornment
- Mix the flour, crushed pepper, and salt in a shallow dish reminiscent of a pie plate. Dip the swordfish fillets into the flour combination and shake off any extra.
- In a big skillet, over medium warmth, warmth the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter. When heated by way of, add the fish, in batches in order to not crowd the skillet, and cook dinner till browned on the underside, 2 to three minutes. Flip the fish and cook dinner till it is brown on the opposite aspect and simply barely cooked by way of within the center. Switch to a plate and canopy with foil to maintain heat. Repeat the method with the remaining fish.
- To make the sauce: Add garlic to skillet and cook dinner till aromatic, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add lemon juice and wine to skillet and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Convey to a boil and permit to scale back barely by about 1/3 or 2 to three minutes. Slowly stir within the remaining 3 tablespoons of the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Style the sauce and regulate seasonings to style. Return the swordfish to the skillet and let it cook dinner for a minute or two to soak up the flavour of the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve without delay, garnished with lemon wedges.
Serves 4.