Frame 278
Recipe courtesy of Robert Irvine

Swordfish with Citrus Salade "Veronique"

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 40 min
  • Prep: 30 min
  • Cook: 10 min
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Citrus salad:

Swordfish and lemon butter sauce:

Directions

  1. For the salad, combine pomegranate, oranges, grapes, lime zest, lime juice, and mint leaves. Set aside briefly.
  2. In a small bowl, make a paste with the 1/2 cup of the lemon juice (reserving the rest - about 1/4 cup - for a lemon-butter sauce), lemon zest, and lemon pepper. Season the swordfish steaks with salt and press some of the lemon paste into the top surface of the fish to make a crust on each. Over medium heat in a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and melt 1/4 cup butter. Starting with the crust side down first, sear the swordfish steaks. It is important to leave the fish undisturbed for about 3 minutes for the seasonings to integrate into the surface of the fish and for the caramelization process to begin. This will prevent the layer of seasonings from "crusting off". Flip the fish and sear the other side. Swordfish must be cooked briefly because it easily dries out. Remove fish to a utility platter and let rest. (The fish will continue to cook even when it is removed from the heat because of a process known as "carryover" cooking. It is especially important to be mindful of this with swordfish. Do not overcook the fish. If you cook this fish in the pan until it "looks" done - it will end up being overdone after carryover cooking.)
  3. To the pan, add the reserved lemon juice and swirl to get all the bits in the pan. Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
  4. Place swordfish steaks on serving plate and drizzle with a small amount of the lemon butter sauce. Spoon citrus salad around fish.