Sword Fight

On our drive up to Maine last weekend, we stopped for dinner at a restaurant in Portland, Maine called the Farmer's Table. I won't go into a full rant about the restaurant's shortcomings, but it wasn't the best food/ service of my life (certainly not the worst either). The point of the story is that Michael ordered swordfish and loved it, so when we got back from our weekend getaway this was his first dinner request. We got a beautiful swordfish steak at Whole Foods for about $20 (a bit pricey, but worth it in the end). Sometimes, fish can be intimidating to cook. And when it costs a pretty penny you want to make sure it turns out well. If you enjoy fish, grilling it with salt and pepper is all you need to do. Serve a wedge of lemon alongside and you have you are done. But, if you don't love fish, ease into it with a recipe like this. The fish stands on it's own as delicious, but the sauce really kicks up the flavor and masks that "fishy" taste that so many dislike. And, for the record, I love fish and seafood any way it comes but I equally enjoy delicious sauces and new recipes, so I hope you enjoy this one.

I started out by seasoning my pound of swordfish with salt, pepper, and a bit of soy sauce. If you can't find (or don't like) swordfish, any white fish should do (halibut, mahi mahi, tilapia, etc...). Heat your indoor or outdoor grill to medium heat, drizzle your fish with olive oil, and grill a couple minutes on each side, more or less depending on the thickness of your piece. You don't need to cook the fish through yet. You only want to get a nice crust and those beautiful grill marks on the outside. Once you've accomplished this easy feat, set the fish aside.

Now for the sauce. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add about a half cup diced red pepper and the same amount of diced yellow onion. It's approximately 1/2 of a red pepper and 1/2 of an onion. Once the veggies start to become soft, add a teaspoon or so of red curry paste (you can get this at most grocery stores- I've mentioned it in the blog before). If you don't groove on the curry or the spicy, tomato paste will work here. Also add about 1/2 cup of coconut milk, a few dashes of fish or soy sauce, and a the juice of a 1/2 a lemon or a lime. I also added the rind of the citrus. Cook this down for a few minutes to allow the flavors to marinate together, then add your swordfish (or otherwise) back into the sauce. Cook over medium heat turning the fish every now and then to coat in the sauce and cook through. The fish will just start to flake apart when it's done. Right before you remove the fish, add a couple tablespoons of chopped basil, cilantro, and tomato. This adds a great finishing touch. Finally, I like to plate the fish and the sauce atop brown rice and steamed spinach. The rice adds a nice bite, and the spinach a bitterness. Together its a perfect harmony. Enjoy!