Hot Smoked Swordfish with White Clam-Garlic-Parsley Sauce

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total: 15 hr 35 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Inactive: 13 hr
  • Cook: 2 hr 20 min
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Ingredients

Hot Smoked Swordfish: 

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

One 4-inch-thick chunk swordfish loin, skin removed

2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

White Clam Sauce:

2 dozen littleneck clams

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste with a little salt

1 small serrano chile, finely diced

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus a handful leaves for garnish

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. For the swordfish: Stir together 8 cups water, the salt, sugar and peppercorns in a deep pot. Bring to a boil just to dissolve the salt and sugar; cool completely. Submerge the swordfish in the brine. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
  2. Remove the swordfish from the brine and rinse well under cold water. Pat dry and allow to air dry for at least 1 hour. The exterior of the fish should feel sticky to the touch before smoking.
  3. Prepare a smoker with maplewood chips and to an internal temperature of 200 to 225 degrees F.
  4. Brush the fish very lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Smoke the fish for about 2 hours, adding chips through the first hour as necessary. You can keep adding chips the second hour if you prefer a much smokier flavor. Transfer the smoked fish to a large platter.
  5. For the clam sauce: Remove the meat from half the clams and chop roughly. Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and chile and cook for a few seconds. Add the chopped clams and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.
  6. Add the whole clams, cover the saucepan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and lemon zest. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over and around the smoked swordfish, and scatter the parsley leaves on top.

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Pamela M.

Added this to the Labor Day BBQ.  It was absolutely delicious and moist and a great alternative for people who do not eat red meat.  Followed the recipe exactly.  Was a little confused on the brine because it called for 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of salt for eight cups of water. In the video Bobby says he used "about 1/2 cup of each.  I made adjustments to make sure it was not overly salty. Left the clams out of the clam sauce due to severe shellfish allergies, but added 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, and chopped porcini mushrooms for texture  and it was dynamite!!!! My guests loved it.  Presentation was just as fabulous as I'm sure it is with clams.  Thanks Bobby!!

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