Seared Swordfish with Orange-Soy Glaze
Chunks of fatty swordfish become silky and meaty when cooked with the basting technique. You only need to sear two opposite sides of each cube; the basting step takes care of the other sides. With the orange segments and buttery citrus sauce spooned over the fish, this dish is delicious on top of steamed rice.
Category
Main Course
Servings/Yield
2 to 4
Author
Lior Lev Sercarz, from "Mastering Spice" by Lior Lev Sercarz
Chunks of fatty swordfish become silky and meaty when cooked with the basting technique. You only need to sear two opposite sides of each cube; the basting step takes care of the other sides. With the orange segments and buttery citrus sauce spooned over the fish, this dish is delicious on top of steamed rice.
Ingredients
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1⁄4 teaspoon black peppercorns, preferably Tellicherry (1 gram)
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1⁄2 teaspoon coriander seeds (1 gram)
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1⁄2 teaspoon celery seeds (1 gram)
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1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme (1⁄2 gram)
Finely grind together the peppercorns, coriander, celery, and thyme.
1 pound skinless swordfish, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
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Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
1 orange, segmented
1 teaspoon soy sauce along with the capers
Spice Blend
Scallops
Directions
Sprinkle about half the spice blend all over the swordfish chunks.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan heats, sprinkle salt evenly all over the swordfish. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet (2 to 3 tablespoons) and heat until it ripples on the surface. Add the swordfish in a single layer so they do not touch and then tilt the skillet so that the oil runs under all of them evenly.
Cook the swordfish without moving them, using regular rotations of the pan to keep the heat distribution even, until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish and add the pieces of butter to the pan. Tilt the skillet again to let the melted butter run under all the fish and then hold the skillet at a 30-degree angle so the butter and oil pool toward one side.
Push the swordfish chunks toward the other side of the pan and use a spoon to baste them with the fat for 30 seconds. Set the skillet down and cook until the bottoms are golden and the fish is still slightly undercooked, about 1 minute. Transfer the fish to a serving plate.
Add the capers, orange juice, segments, soy sauce, and remaining spice blend to the skillet. Cook, stirring and scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced into a glazy sauce, about 15 seconds. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
Recipe Note
Recipe from "Mastering Spice" by Lior Lev Sercarz.
Photo © Thomas Schauer
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com
