Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby
(more info)
Grilled Swordfish with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Olives
from License
to Grill (William Morrow and Company, 1997)
Along with tuna, swordfish is probably the preeminent grilling
fish, because the tight texture of its flesh approximates that
of meat. Swordfish freezes better than any fish I know. I hesitate
to say this, but there is some pretty high quality frozen swordfish
referred to as "clipper sword", because it is caught and quick-frozen
within hours. Freezing technology has advanced a great deal over
the years, and I think a lot more of our seafood than we know
is frozen before we eat it.
But back to cooking. Here we accent the steaklike quality of swordfish
with a collection of Mediterranean ingredients mixed together
in a free- form chunky relish/salad type preparation. The poached,
then grilled artichockes are excellent all by themselves, but
they are even better mixed with other ingredients, and I think
they complement the swordfish very well.
You can substitute steaks of tuna, mahi mahi, or salmon in this
recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2
large artichokes
- 1/4
cup vegetable oil
- Salt
and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1
large tomato, cored and diced
- 1/2
cup pitted brine-cured black olives
- 1/4
cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
- 1
teaspoon minced garlic
- 1
teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/3
cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4
cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 4
8-ounce swordfish steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick
1.Cut off the top third of each artichoke, snip off the sharp
tips from the remaining leaves, and trim the bottom slightly so
that it is even.
2. In a small stockpot, bring 3 quarts of lightly salted water
to boil. Add the artichockes and boil for about 20 minutes, or
until the outer leaves pull away easily with a sharp tug. Drain
the artichokes, immediately plunge them into ice and water to
stop the cooking process, and then drain again.
3. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, brush them lightly with
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
to taste. Place the artichokes on the grill over a medium-hot
fire, cut side down, and cook them for about 10 minutes, or until
the cut sides are well browned. Remove the artichokes and cut
each half in half.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the artichokes, tomato, olives, parsley,
garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil and lemon juice and mix well.
Set aside.
5. Check to be sure the fire is still at the medium-hot level.
If it is not, add a bit of fuel and wait until it is caught. Rub
the swordfish steaks with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil,
sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and place on the grill.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, turning only once. To check
for doneness: Cut into one of the steaks; it should be just opaque
throughout. Remove from the grill and serve, topped with the artichoke
mixture.
Serves 4
Chris
Schlesinger grew up in Virginia and, at age eighteen,
dropped out of school to wash dishes. He soon graduated to fry cook,
went on to receive his formal training at the Culinary Institute
of America, and subsequently cooked in restaurants ranging from
Hawaiian burger joints to New England's finest dining rooms. In
1985, he and partner Cary Wheaton opened the East Coast Grill in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in 1987, they opened
Jake
and Earl's Dixie Barbecue next door.
John Willoughby
was born and raised in Iowa and graduated form Harvard University
in 1970. He has worked as a community organizer, legal services
advocate, health administrator and free-lance writer in the Boston
area, and for three years worked part-time with Chris Schlesinger
in the kitchen of the East Coast Grill. He has published articles
about food in several national magazines and is the feature writer
for Cook's Magazine.
