Swordfish

[jrshaul]

My family has for some years enjoyed the swordfish steaks available at Trader Joe's, and I'd like to find some new ways to prepare them. I've tried sauteeing them at varying temperatures or searing them on the stove and finishing in the oven, but the end result is very similar. (Swordfish in soup, on the other hand, is not to be spoke of again.) Can anyone recommend a new cooking method, or perhaps recommend an optimal temperature for a grill?

[kayswv]

We have enjoyed them for many years spread with mayo on both sides and then grilled over a medium heat grill about 2 minutes per side depending upon thickness. Let rest a few minutes before eating.

Kay

[heidih]

I like them simply briefly marinated in olive oil, snipped fresh herbs of choice, lots of black pepper, dash of fish sauce or salt, just a hint of Dijon mustard, and some lemon juice and grated zest - then grilled as above over a medium heat. Once you can start to flake off an end bit, take off heat, rest a few minutes and enjoy. A creamy pesto makes a nice contrast for a sauce. Fish tacos are a good use as well with fresh garden salsa.

[nickrey]

If you've cooked them before, you'd know how easy it is to overcook them. I'd agree with brief grilling or frying.

As you're looking at something different, how about trying them en papillote? Use additional elements in the parcels that only require heating rather than cooking so you can then time your cooking solely on how long it takes the swordfish to cook. As an alternative, you could also add seafood elements that require similar amounts of cooking such as shelled prawns (shrimp).

[Broken English]

When I cook swordie, I treat it the same as tuna. and wahoo: ie. serve it rare, at the very most, medium. I find it just dries out to the point where it's pretty unenjoyable when it's cooked past medium.

I also like to use it as a tartare or carpaccio.

[jrshaul]

I'll take Egullet's word for it that I should cook it as rare as possible. I'll likely go for the "heat it to 120 and wrap it in tinfoil" approach for the sake of $6/pound Trader Joe's frozen fish, but I suspect I often cook it much higher. (Best of all, I can pass off the portion I've been prodding with the probe thermometer to someone else until I get the hang of it.)

I've seen some recipes that get a really nice crust on the outside of the swordfish, but I've never managed to accomplish this with any form of seafood. Perhaps breadcrumbs are involved?

[BKYLN]

Watch out for the worms...

[Broken English]

I find the best way to get that crust is to season the fish 10 minutes or so before cooking, pat it dry, start it on one side in a pan, and transfer the pan to the oven, without flipping it at all.

I think it'd be pretty hard to achieve with something you want to leave rare-ish though, I use it mostly on thick, shoulder portions of fish like Kingfish (I think they're called Yellowtail in the US), Mahi Mahi and Flame Snapper.

[jrshaul]

I find the best way to get that crust is to season the fish 10 minutes or so before cooking, pat it dry, start it on one side in a pan, and transfer the pan to the oven, without flipping it at all.

I think it'd be pretty hard to achieve with something you want to leave rare-ish though, I use it mostly on thick, shoulder portions of fish like Kingfish (I think they're called Yellowtail in the US), Mahi Mahi and Flame Snapper.

My definition of "rare" is many other individuals' "well done," so I suspect it will work rather well. How do you season your fish? And at what temperature do you cook it?

Watch out for the worms...

Worms?!?!

[BKYLN]

9/10 swordfish have large (up to 1" or more) parasitic worms burrowed in the flesh. Similar to the ones found in cod, but larger. Google it.

[Broken English]

I find the best way to get that crust is to season the fish 10 minutes or so before cooking, pat it dry, start it on one side in a pan, and transfer the pan to the oven, without flipping it at all.

I think it'd be pretty hard to achieve with something you want to leave rare-ish though, I use it mostly on thick, shoulder portions of fish like Kingfish (I think they're called Yellowtail in the US), Mahi Mahi and Flame Snapper.

My definition of "rare" is many other individuals' "well done," so I suspect it will work rather well. How do you season your fish? And at what temperature do you cook it?

Degrees of done-ness in fish is probably one of the hardest things to clarify by text alone, so I won't worry.

I simply use a fine salt before coooking, and finish it with sea salt flakes afterwards. I don't pepper before, as I find it turns bitter when cooked. In a commercial kitchen, the oven frequently runs at 280C, but at home a 200C fan forced suffices. The only other thing I do is baste it with butter after removing from the oven.

[Keith_W]

I don't know if mine is the correct technique or not, but it works. My aim is to produce a nice crust with a medium rare interior. Problem is, fish cooks very quickly - by the time you get a nice crust, the interior is overcooked. Solution:

1. Lightly coat the surface with caster sugar. You do not want to taste the sugar - the idea is the sugar caramelizes, encourages the Maillard reaction, and then disappears.

2. Cook the fish straight from the fridge. For thinner cuts, I sometimes put it in the freezer for half an hour to get it really cold.

3. Use very high heat.

For some thicker pieces of fish, or for more dense fish, the method sometimes works too well and the interior remains undercooked. If this happens, finish cooking in the oven.

[jrshaul]

Apologies for post-dredging, but I just read the sugar solution and very much want to try it.

In opposition to what others have suggested, I seem to have had better luck with the swordfish warmed to room temperature. I often find that the outside of the fish becomes tough and inedible before the interior is done, though this is likely just an artifact of trying to make cheap fish as safe as possible - most recommend to cook it much less.

I cooked it under low heat with a tablespoon of butter until almost done, then put it under the broiler for a few minutes, turning once. I didn't get much of a crust, but aside from that, it was pretty good. The butter also helped prevent the fish from becoming dry, another problem with heating to 130F+.

Next time, I think I might try removing it from the butter and searing it in hot cast iron pan. I figure if I bring the fish to ~115-120F and sear for a little under a minute on both sides, I should hit 130 neatly.

[CaliPoutine]

I love swordfish( its my favorite fish). I grill it or when I get chowder pieces, I pan saute it. I once had a swordfish picatta at a restaurant that was so great. It was a thin piece, breaded and pan sauted.