It’s really never too cold to barbecue and, with a mild winter this year, I’ve been making good use of the outdoor grill. For me, few things cry out to be barbecued quite like swordfish. Brushed with some good olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled, it needs only to be splashed with a squeeze of lemon at the end and served with a glass of white wine.
For a slightly more interesting preparation that still does not overwhelm the fish, try this: Mix up some fresh and dry herbs and dampen the mixture with olive oil. When the swordfish comes off the grill, roll it in the herb mixture. In the preparation pictured above, I combined fresh parsley and thyme with some dried herbs de Provence, a little pimentón and some minced garlic. Some chopped olives would work too, if you’re into that. If you don’t have a barbecue or prefer not to go out in the cold, it can be made the same way on a stove-top grill pan.
1 pound swordfish steak
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped fresh and dry herbs and spices
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Lemon
1. Heat the grill. Mix the herbs and spices in a bowl with the garlic. Add olive oil and mix until the mixture holds together. Turn the mixture out onto a plate.
2. Brush the swordfish on each side with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper. Grill it about 4-5 minutes per side, turning once.
3. When the fish is done, roll it in the herb mixture, pressing some of the mixture onto the top and bottom of the fish. Serve with lemon wedges.
The leftovers make a really nice sandwich. Warm up the swordfish and top it with lettuce and tomato and some sauteed onions and garlic.
An alternative is to use your broiler and a broiling pan. I find too many people neglect to use their broilers correctly.
That's a very good point. As Mark Bittman pointed out, a broiler is really just an upside-down grill.
We welcome tips on effective broiling technique.