In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring: Wild Swordfish

Swordfish Picatta 

This is simple and delicious! You’ll be surprised how minimal the prep is for this meal. We’ve left out the flour, so this is a gluten-free fish dish. All the flavors together make the swordfish shine. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 swordfish steaks
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Garlic Oil!)
• 1/4 cup white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed (more if desired)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Parsley for garnish

Directions: Season the swordfish steaks with salt and black pepper on both sides.

Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the steaks and cook, without moving, for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, depending on thickness. Fish is cooked when it has lovely golden-brown sear outside, and an internal temp of 145°F. Using a fish spatula, remove fish the skillet and keep warm.

To the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom. When the wine has reduced by about half, add the lemon juice and capers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, then add the butter. Cook, stirring, for another minute or until butter is melted.

To serve, pour the wine sauce over the fish and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve along with sides of your choice.

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Pan-Seared Swordfish with a Peppercorn & Lemon-Herb Butter Sauce

Swordfish is sometimes said to be the steak of the sea, so why not cook it like one? Giving the swordfish a good sear and allowing it to finish in the oven allows for even cooking and leaves the skillet with a fantastic base with which to make a quick finishing sauce. Inspired by Bon Appetit. Serves 2.  

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 1 scant Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• About 1/2 tsp coarsely ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for seasoning
• Zest from half a lemon
• Salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Garlic Oil
• 2 Swordfish steaks
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions: Allow the fish to sit out at room temperature for at least 25 minutes before cooking.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, parsley ground peppercorns and lemon zest. Set aside.

Heat oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season the swordfish with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Sear on one side for 3 minutes then flip and immediately place in the oven (careful of the hot handle). Roast for about 7 to 9 minutes or until cooked through (internal temp should be at least 130-135°F).

Transfer swordfish individual serving plates and set aside. To the same skillet, add the peppercorn butter mixture. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as the butter melts (add low heat if necessary, but pan should still be hot).  

To serve, drizzle the butter over the swordfish and serve immediately. Offer a lemon wedge on the side.

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Grilled Swordfish with a Local Hachiya Persimmon & Ginger Sauce

A delightfully flavorful sauce that pairs deliciously with our swordfish. Adapted from Edible Paradise. Yields about ½ to ¾ cup, serves 2.

Directions:

• 1 large (very) soft-ripe local Hachiya persimmon
• About 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• A 2-inch (at least) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated on a microplane or the like
• 1 to 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp white wine, such as pinot grigio
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Swordfish steaks
• Orange zest, for garnish (optional)

Directions: Slice the persimmon in half, use a spoon to scoop the flesh out from the skin and scrape any remaining flesh from the skin. Remove any seeds and tough center core. Press the flesh through a fine mesh sieve with a spatula. Discard any remaining fibers. You should have about 1/2 cup puree. Set aside.

Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When heated, add the shallots and a pinch of salt; cook until they are quite tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, but do not brown them. Add the rice vinegar and cook to reduce by half, about 4 minutes.

Add the wine and juice and cook down by half, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the wine cooks down, squeeze the grated ginger to release the juice over a small bowl. There should be about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon or so of juice. When the wine has reduced enough, add in about 1 ½ teaspoons of the ginger juice and swirl in.

Add the persimmon purée and whisk to incorporate the liquid in the pan with the purée.

Season with salt and pepper and heat through. If puree is runny, cook down to a sauce-like consistency. Taste for balance and adjust as necessary. You may need to add a little vinegar or ginger juice.

Divide the sauce in half and drizzle or spoon over two plates. Set plates aside. 

Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high. Using about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, brush both sides of each fish and season with salt and black pepper.

Grill the fish until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the fish and grill another 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through. 

Place the cooked fish on the plates on top of the sauce. Garnish with orange zest, if desired. Serve immediately.

Grilled Swordfish with a Cilantro, Pepper and Lemon Vinaigrette

Finishing with fresh lemon gives this dish-with-a-kick the extra layer of flavor that adds the perfect touch – don’t skip the squeeze! Remember, swordfish is a steak-like fish, so serve this with a knife and a glass of Evohé 2011 Garnacha Blanca from Spain, a delightfully aromatic white wine. Adapted from Food & Wine. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 oz. each) swordfish steaks
• 1 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided, plus more for brushing
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 3/4 cup rough chopped cilantro leaves and stems (swap measurements with parsley, if your taste buds prefer less cilantro)
• 1/3 cup rough chopped parsley leaves and stems (swap measurements with cilantro, if your taste buds prefer)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Sigona’s Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic or Premium White Balsamic
• 1 small red Fresno pepper, seeded and minced
• Pinch of Red Gold saffron threads
• 3/4 to 1 tsp chili powder, to taste
• 2 lemon wedges, or 1 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Directions: Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high. Using 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, brush both sides of each fish and season with salt and black pepper.

Grill the fish until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the steaks and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Grill until the fish is just cooked through, about 2 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to serving plates.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the remaining olive oil with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, balsamic, Fresno pepper, saffron and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the vinaigrette over the swordfish, top with a squeeze or drizzle of lemon juice and serve.

 

Grilled Swordfish Kabobs with Lemon, Garlic & Parsley

These simple yet flavorful ingredients make a fancy dinner in a snap. Swordfish is a firm, meaty-texture fish that works well on skewers. Adapted from Food Network, which suggests serving this with a panzanella salad. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 to 10 oz. each) swordfish steaks
• 1 large lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, loose packed
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• At least 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling (Mix it up! Try Sigona’s Herbes de Provence Olive Oil or Sigona’s Tuscan Herb Olive Oil)

Special equipment:

• 4 wooden or metal skewers (soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before threading on ingredients)

Directions: Cube swordfish into generous bite-size chunks, about 1 ½ inch cubes. Zest the lemon, and then cut half of the lemon into wedges and reserve.

Pile the zest on a cutting board. Add 4 cloves garlic to zest and rough chop the garlic. Add about a 1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt to garlic and lemon and combine with flat part of the knife. Pile on the parsley to the garlic and zest mixture, chop to combine. Add a generous amount of coarse black pepper to the pile and mix together with your finger tips.

Coat the swordfish in about two tablespoons olive oil – enough to coat it evenly – and toss to cover all surfaces of the cubes. Rub the zest mixture all over the fish (the oil will make it stick). Thread 4 to 5 cubes each wooden or metal skewer then set the fish aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

When you are ready to eat, grill the skewers for about 3 minutes on each side, 6 minutes total or until the fish is just cooked through. When cooked, transfer to a serving dish and squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Serve 2 skewers per person.