In searching for a new way to prepare the swordfish that looked so fresh in the market, I stumbled on a 2005 recipe on Epicurious that that was a revelation! 123 reviewers rated it 4/4 forks and 98 % would make it again. One reviewer called it “Ridiculously good and ridiculously easy!” You simply saute the swordfish in a bit of olive oil to brown on the first side then pop into the oven in the pan to finish cooking. Setting the fish aside, you add a mixture of butter, garlic, lemon zest and ground mixed peppercorns into the same pan until bubbling, and pour it over the fish. The swordfish was moist and tender, and the butter sauce a perfect complement.
And actually, unless your steaks are more like an inch and a half thick, you really can skip the oven altogether and finish cooking the fish right on the stove top as it only takes a few more minutes after you turn it over to be perfect. I deglazed the pan with some white wine after removing the fish and before adding the butter mixture. And you can tailor the butter to your taste; I added dill and chives along with the parsley. Making this again tonight and will toss in some capers…your choice!
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. (packed) grated lemon peel
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 1-inch thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
Heat the oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add the swordfish to the skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to the oven. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve. Serves 4.
Note: I tried the oven method the second time, and 10 minutes was too long I found. Suggest you pull it out earlier and check, as fish continues to cook a bit while it sits.
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