Swordfish has been called the steak of the sea: mild yet meaty enough to stand up to all kinds of bold flavors. No wonder it’s often a steakhouse menu favorite among pescatarians craving a lower-fat, omega 3-rich alternative to go with the traditional T-bone sides. This recipe, adapted from one of Ina Garten’s on the Food Network website, pairs oven-roasted swordfish steaks with the flavors of a Caesar salad, and delivers sensational results. And it’s a breeze to prepare. High heat, short cooking time, and a smear of mayonnaise-based dressing — both in the cooking and the serving — are keys to keeping it extra-moist, juicy, and flavorful.
While you make the sauce and prep the fish, you can get a head start on some no-fuss sides: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and dump a pound or so of halved baby potatoes on the same sheet pan you’ll be roasting the fish on. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or so until crispy and tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
Then turn up the oven heat full-blast and proceed with the recipe. If you like, scatter quick cooking veggies — halved cherry tomatoes, snow peas, green beans — around the fish, drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
From cookbook author Susan Puckett. Serves 2.
Caesar sauce:
· ½ cup mayonnaise
· 1 large garlic clove, grated, pressed or minced
· 2 tbs minced fresh parsley
· 1 tsp Dijon mustard
· 1 ½ tsp anchovy paste
· Grated zest of 1 lemon
· 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
· Salt and pepper
Swordfish:
· 2 center-cut swordfish steaks, ¾ to 1 inch thick (about 6 ounces each)
· ¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
· 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 tablespoon drained capers
· Lemon wedges for serving
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil.
2. To make the sauce, place the mayonnaise, garlic, parsley, anchovy paste, mustard, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl and blend until smooth with a hand-held immersion blender, if you have one. If not, just blend the ingredients well with a whisk.
3. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside about half the sauce for serving.
4. Place the swordfish steaks on the sheet pan and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Spread both sides with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the scallions and let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Roast the fish for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center is just barely cooked, about 130 degrees on a meat thermometer. (Do not overcook!) Cover the fish with aluminum foil and it let rest in the pan for 10 minutes. (The temperature will continue to rise off the heat — the USDA recommends 145 degrees as a safe internal temperature.)
6. While the fish rests, heat the oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, add the capers, and cook 30 seconds or so, just until they start to turn crisp and pop a bit, but don’t let them burn.
Top the swordfish with the capers and serve with lemon wedges and the reserved Caesar sauce on the side (Any extras will be great for dipping veggies the next day
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