I needed something worthy of opening day for my beloved New England Patriots. Fisherman’s Wharf Gloucester had fresh swordfish at their drive-up seafood market, so I grabbed two big steaks for the game.
My first instinct would be to grill the swordfish or pan roast it. However, I’ve learned with my small house and bad airflow, I’ll save myself a lot of cleanup and odor if I bake it instead. It won’t look as pretty, or have killer crust or grill marks, but I find baked swordfish comes out delicious. Baking the swordfish will also require less attention while I focus on the side dish, the cocktails, and the first game of the season.
Swordfish is very meaty in texture, recently I heard someone call it ”steak of the sea” which gave me the idea to serve it with a chimichurri type sauce.
What is Chimichurri?
This sauce is a staple in Argentine cuisine, I first encountered chimichurri while in Germany. It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats but is also great with vegetables and seafood. Every family, every cook, every region has its own special variation. Some like it with a hint of cilantro, others prefer a burst of lemon juice to brighten it up. Some are chunky, while other versions have a smoother consistency.
My version is sort of a rough-cut pesto. But with a brighter and much more citrusy flavor to contrast with the fish. I’ll be making the sauce with adjustments to make it more FODMAP-friendly, so no fresh garlic or spicy chilies.
Baked Swordfish With Cilantro-Mint Chimichurri
Cuisine: SeafoodDifficulty: Easy10
minutes20
minutesYou can remove the skin and the bloodline before cooking, but I have found that it protects the swordfish from overcooking. Swordfish is lean and the only bit of fat on the steak is right at the skin, by leaving the steaks intact the fish does not dry out.
Ingredients
2 Swordfish steaks
1 bunch each of: Fresh Cilantro, Italian Parsley, Mint
Lemon and Lime: zest and 1/2 the juice
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and/or Garlic infused oil
1 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
Directions
- For the Chimichurri: Have all your herbs washed and dried, removing the thick stems. You will not need all the herbs, but this allows you to adjust the flavor to your liking.
Add your preferred ratio of herbs and the citrus zest, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse into a chunky paste, add olive oil and juice and pulse until the mixture starts to emulsify.
Give it a taste before you decide on adding the vinegar. Pour into a bowl and let it steep until the fish is ready. - Preheat oven to 425F. Rinse swordfish steaks and pat dry.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment (I lay down foil first to make clean up easier) and season swordfish with salt, pepper and olive oil.
- Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until fully cooked.
Notes
- When it’s done you just trim off the skin and darker portions to make a nice presentation. I don’t eat the darker meat because it can be very strong tasting but I do save that strip of meat next to the skin as a treat for myself – it’s sweet and juicy but usually missing from the fish if you order from a restaurant.
The Verdict
Grilling gets all the glory, but I really like how swordfish can turn out from the oven. The Patriots disappointed in Week 1, but this delicious baked swordfish was a real winner. As an added bonus, I made way too much chimichurri, so I saved most of it in the fridge and used it as a topping/condiment. Once you start making your own, you’ll be drizzling it on everything and dipping your bread into it.
