Equipment
Ingredients
Swordfish
- 680 g swordfish steaks, cut into 4 equal steaks, about 2.5cm thick
- 15 ml olive oil, for brushing
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Salsa Verde
- 30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 30 g capers, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic, minced into a paste
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g lemon zest, microplaned
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Finely chop the parsley, capers, and garlic on a clean cutting board.
Combine the chopped parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Stir well and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat, approximately 230 degrees Celsius or 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure the grates are very clean.
Pat the swordfish steaks completely dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of the steaks with olive oil and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Place the swordfish on the hot grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well-defined grill marks appear, the flesh turns completely opaque, and the internal temperature reaches 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Transfer the grilled swordfish to a clean plate or cutting board and let it rest for 3 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
Transfer the rested swordfish steaks to serving plates. Spoon the salsa verde generously over the top of each steak and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Swordfish is uniquely dense and meaty, making it one of the most forgiving and satisfying fish to grill. Treat it more like a premium steak than a delicate whitefish fillet.
- Rinsing the capers is a crucial step. It removes their harsh, salty brine, allowing their pure, floral tang to shine through without overpowering the delicate herbs.
- For the absolute best salsa verde texture, commit to hand-chopping the ingredients. Using a food processor can turn the herbs to mush and easily make the extra virgin olive oil taste extremely bitter due to sheer force.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store salsa verde and swordfish in separate airtight containers. Fish is best consumed immediately.
Reheating: Reheat swordfish very gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water, or serve chilled flaked over a salad.
