Swordfish Recipe

Prepare fish

Pat the swordfish steaks dry with paper towels. Trim any ragged edges or sinew. Lightly score the skinless sides with 2 shallow diagonal cuts (about 1/8 inch deep) to help the marinade penetrate and to prevent curling.

Make the marinade

In a medium bowl whisk together 6 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tbs lemon zest, 3 tsp minced garlic, 3 tbs chopped parsley, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1.5 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.

Marinate

Place the swordfish steaks in a shallow dish or a resealable bag. Pour half of the marinade over the steaks, reserving the rest for basting/finishing. Turn steaks to coat evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes (no longer than 1 hour to avoid "cooking" the fish with acid). Remove fish from fridge 15 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature.

Preheat grill or heavy pan

Preheat a grill (or a cast-iron skillet / heavy frying pan) until very hot. If grilling, oil the grill grates lightly. If using a pan, add 1 tbs olive oil and heat until shimmering.

Cook swordfish

Place steaks on the hot grill or in the pan. Cook without moving 3–4 minutes per side for 1-inch steaks (adjust 4–5 minutes per side for thicker 1¼-inch steaks), until nicely seared and the fish is opaque with a faintly translucent center — internal temperature about 54–57°C (130–135°F) for medium; take care not to overcook. During the last minute of cooking, brush with a little of the reserved marinade repeatedly to build a glaze (discard any marinade that touched raw fish if it won't be cooked).

Finish with butter (optional)

If using, add 2 tbs butter to the pan for the final 30 seconds and spoon the melted butter over the steaks to enrich flavor. On a grill, brush each steak with a small amount of melted butter immediately after removing from heat.

Rest and serve

Transfer the swordfish to a warm plate and let rest 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle with extra chopped parsley, serve with lemon wedges and any remaining reserved marinade warmed and served on the side (ensure it was heated to a boil if it contacted raw fish).