Today would have been my Mom’s birthday, so we figured we’d honor her with an ingredient that brings back so many memories of her cooking: Swordfish. I used to unpack and put away the groceries when she’d get home with a carload of food, and whenever I’d uncover a pack of Swordfish Steak, I knew a treat was coming that night. She’d normally then marinate it and grill it…because one of her personal mantras was, “All weather is grilling weather.”
I’m more of a wimp than her, and since it was a little chilly last night, I decided to cook inside. Then, since I figured I was already straying greatly from her classic cooking method, I’d go all in and replace the marinade with a dry rub. From there, after a quick consult with a friend, I decided to make a Blackening Spice Blend and coat the fish with that before pan searing in butter. Oh, and it was spectacular…a perfectly tender texture and a pleasant spice level (which can be adjusted by your cayenne quantity decision).
We served our Swordfish with a Baked Potato and Steamed Broccoli to round out the nutritional profile of our dinner.
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Swordfish Steak
- Smoked Paprika
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Powder
- Oregano
- Optional (but suggested): Fresh Lemon
Method:
- Combine your spices in a little bowl, and stir to blend.
- Pat your swordfish steaks dry, and place them on a plate or cutting board.
- Give a copious sprinkle of your seasoning blend atop your fish, and pat it down by hand. Then, flip your steaks, and do it again on the other side.
- Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a pan (we prefer Cast Iron for this).
- When your butter has melted and is bubbling, add your fish, and sear for 7-8 minutes on the first side.
- Flip, and sear the other side for another 6-8 minutes until the meat firms and reaches a minimum internal cooked temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Plate, squeeze some (optional) fresh lemon juice atop, devour, and enjoy!
