Fish can be a tricky thing to serve a family. There are some people, like my Mom, who likes fish as fishy as she can get it. Then there are people like me, who can tolerate only the mildest fish. Salmon is about the edge of my tolerance, and to be honest, I usually have to choke it down, the flavor is just too strong for me….I’m such a wimp.
Swordfish on the other hand is a fish that I love, it is meaty, flavorful (without being fishy), and as long as you don’t overcook it, is flaky and moist. I love swordfish all on its own, but we eat so much of it that I try to introduce different condiments to serve with it in order to keep things interesting, and to show the kids just how different it can taste when paired with different flavors.
Fruit salsas are delicious with swordfish, as are the more traditional tomato variety. A great sweet – salty combo can be found in one of my very favorite swordfish recipes (I’ll blog it before grilling season is over, I promise), Andrew Carmellini’s “Grilled Swordfish with Orange and Olives”…..it is fabulous.
Today’s recipe came about out of a desperate need to use some spinach, scallions and parsley from my garden. In addition, I had some red-skinned potatoes just begging for Peyton to give them a good ol’ EVOO bath and smash. The caper sauce recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, In the Hands of A Chef : Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant
Ingredients
for the sauce:
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups packed spinach leaves, trimmed of stems and washed
- 1 cup plat-leaf parsley leaves
- 4 scallions washed, and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 6 anchovy filets, rinsed and finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Red or white skinned baby potatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 swordfish steak per person, between 3/4" and 1" thick
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
for the sauce:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a small skillet with the minced garlic over medium heat until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach, parsley and scallions and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the blanching water.
- Put the warm spinach mixture in a blender with the garlic, tarragon, capers, anchovies, the rest of the EVOO, and the reserved blanching water. Blend until smooth and of a sauce consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small, covered saucepan and keep warm.
for the potatoes
- This isn't a recipe per se, but rather a Jamie Oliveresque description of a very simple technique. Place as many potatoes as you need to feed your gang into a large pot, cover them with salted water and heat to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down until the pot gently boils, and cook until a paring knife placed into the largest potato comes out easily. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot and smash them with a large fork or potato masher. Toss a few large knobs of butter, and a few glugs of a good quality olive oil into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the oil and butter have been incorporated. Add more of any of the above until the taters achieve the flavor and consistency you want. Cover and reserve as you cook the fish.
to serve
- Spoon some of the mashed potatoes in the center of your plate, top with a piece of swordfish, and surround with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Serve with a wedge of lemon, if you wish.