Sicilian Swordfish with Tomatillo Salsa is my new favorite way to prepare Swordfish!
A yummy plate of food! Sicilian Swordfish with Tomatillo Salsa and a side of Cinnamon Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Are you a fan of meaty Swordfish Steaks? If you are this recipe is for you. If you are not, it just might convert you. Swordfish steaks taste like steak but with a slightly lighter texture. And for some reason I had been craving Swordfish but there just didn’t seem to be any around. Lucky for me a new market opened in our area called Sprouts. It is a really cool place with great farm fresh produce and gorgeous, inexpensive Swordfish! I was such a happy camper. (Pun intended) So now we have been having Swordfish in our regular rotation and loving it.
Salt and peppered Swordfish Steaks with marinade and salsa at the ready.
It had been so long since I had made Swordfish that I actually looked to my cookbook/recipe collection for some guidance. Which I found in a recipe by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself. And although for most people, this is grilling season, here in South Florida it is waaaaay too hot and steamy to add the heat of an outdoor fire. I probably would melt and drip onto my food making it far too salty. So even though grilling would work well for this I chose to cook indoors with the A/C cranked way down to frigid. Or as Steve always puts it “You could hang meat in here!”.
Sear the Swordfish steaks seasoned side down. Before turning liberally season with salt and pepper.
Cook the second side until it as golden brown as this side!
First thing I did was make my Tomatillo Salsa and marinade. Then I took the steaks out of the fridge to bring them to room temperature so they wouldn’t be shocked going from really cold into a screaming hot pan. If you want to get a good sear you need to make sure that your protein is dry. So after drying the steaks on paper towels I seasoned one side liberally with kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Next I placed the steaks into my very hot cast iron pan that had a smidge of olive oil in it to keep the fish from sticking. While it cooked on the first side I seasoned the top side with salt and pepper. And then flipped. You know it is ready to flip when it releases easily from the pan. Once golden brown on both sides and cooked through, I removed the fish to a plate and pierced each steak in several places and then spooned my marinade over the steaks. Piercing allows the marinade to penetrate the dense fish. After about 5 minutes it is ready to serve, topped with some of that citrusy Tomatillo Salsa.
After piercing several times with a fork, spoon on the marinade.
A yummy plate of food! Sicilian Swordfish with Tomatillo Salsa and a side of Cinnamon Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
I served the Sicilian Swordfish with Tomatillo Salsa with a side of Cinnamon Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and I will share the recipe for that in my next post which will publish on Thursday. So be sure to check your inbox for this easy and delicious side dish
Print
Sicilian Swordfish with Tomatillo Salsa
My inspiration for this crave able Swordfish came from the fabulous Ina Garten. I just made a couple of changes to make it my way.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Swordfish:
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2–3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil + more for the pan
1 1/2 Teaspoons Italian Herb Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4 (3/4-inch thick) Swordfish steaks about 6 ounces each
For the Salsa:
3 Tomatillos, husks removed and tomatillos scrubbed
4–5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 lime, zest and juice
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems
1 Teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Swordfish:
- Bring the swordfish to room temperature, dry well and season liberally on one side with salt and pepper. Meanwhile make the marinade by combining the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, Italian Herb Seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil into a cast iron pan and heat over medium/high heat. When oil is shimmering place the swordfish, seasoned side down, in the pan.
- Season the top of the steaks generously with salt and pepper. When the first side of the fish is nicely golden brown and releases easily from the pan, about 3-5 minutes, carefully turn over to cook the second side. Cook for about 3-5 minutes more, until cooked though and golden brown.
- Remove the swordfish steaks to a platter and pierced each of them in several places with a fork. Liberally spoon the marinade over the steaks. Cover with a tent of foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
For the Salsa:
- Quarter the tomatillos and place them in a blender with the remaining salsa ingredients. Blend for a minute or two until a smooth consistency. Pour into a small serving bowl and taste for seasoning.
Notes
I served this with Cinnamon Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes which are an easy side dish to have in your back pocket.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Pan Searing
- Cuisine: Sicilian
