Swordfish-like Steak with Crispy Capers by Alison Roman

I made this dish — well, actually my brother mostly made this dish — using a .4 lb. swordfish steak, which we split between 6 people. I’m at the point where I’ve eaten more seafood in one year than I have in my entire lifetime, so I was not about to buy 16 oz. of swordfish. 

Swordfish itself is rather dense, on the drier side, and dons a distinctly fishy taste. It’s not a personal favorite. Neither is it a favorite of my family members, who generally stay away from anything fishy and stick to the occasional salmon filet once or twice a year. (We’re from coastal Orange County and we still don’t have a pallet for seafood!) But somehow, each family member enjoyed their bite of this fish. I think, because it was dominated by salty, buttery, and briny flavors. The fishiness hit last. 

The assembly is rather simple. Season the swordfish with salt and pepper, and sear it in a skillet until golden brown on each side. Then add butter, a smashed garlic clove, an anchovy, and chopped capers. Let the butter melt, then use it to baste the fish, scooping it up and over the steak for several minutes. The whole process takes about 12 minutes. 

The fish was like a salty umami bomb. I’d recommend forgoing the anchovy in this case. It seemed to be what put the fish over the edge in the salt category. Everyone enjoyed their one bite, remarking that that was all they needed to enjoy the fish. 

215 recipes cooked, 10 to go.

Swordfish with Crushed Olives and Oregano by Alison Roman

Swordfish is not what I thought it would be. Yes, it looks thick and meaty, but for some reason I imagined it to not be so steak-like. Unlike a thick cut of salmon, there was nothing buttery or soft about this fish. It’s tougher. After all, it’s the only kind of fish I can think of that brandishes a sword. 

However, swordfish does score points for being easy to prepare. This recipe calls for seasoning the fish with salt and pepper, before cooking the steaks over a large skillet with olive oil, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Even though I monitored my steaks closely with a meat thermometer to ensure they weren’t overcooked, they still seemed dry. 

I’m slowly growing to appreciate olives more. Alison calls for Castelvetrano olives marinated with olive oil, white wine vinegar and fresh oregano. Once the fish is done and cleared from the skillet, I threw in some sliced garlic and the olive mixture to briefly soften, before pouring it over the plated fish. I did appreciate the briney accents of the olives with this thicker fish. The oil and vinegar juices also helped to supplement any natural fish juices lost in the cooking process. 

Jordan and I both ate our dinner helpings, but the leftovers sat untouched in the fridge for a week before I finally gave into chucking them. I hate food waste. Un-utilized leftovers are among my biggest pet peeves. So it’s telling that I violated my own rules by throwing this fish away – I think swordfish just isn’t for me. 

57 recipes cooked, 168 to go.