Swordfish with Citrus Buerre Blanc and Radishes

This is a brightly flavored treatment for meaty swordfish. The radishes are a great foil for the buttery sauce and sweet tasting fish. Untoasted coriander seed has a citrusy profile that matches well with the sauce. If you wanted to, you could lightly cook the radishes in the sauce to give them a softer flavor, but the soaked raw slices provide a nice crunch as well as a little heat for contrast.

INGREDIENTS:

1¼ pounds swordfish steaks, cut ½ inch thick, skin and bloodline removed

1 tablespoon, or as needed, freshly ground coriander seed*

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil as needed

1-2 tablespoons high-quality butter

2-3 thyme sprigs-lemon thyme if you have it

1 cup 1/16^th inch thin radish slices

1 recipe Citrus Buerre Blanc (see recipe)

METHOD:

Lightly salt the radish slices, using your fingers to separate the slices and ensuring they all get a little salt. After 5-8 minutes, rinse the radishes well, tasting to ensure all the salt is off. Immerse the radish slices in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes, or until crisp. Drain well, patting with a kitchen towel to ensure they are dry.

Spray or rub the swordfish with olive oil until it is coated all over. Season with salt, pepper, and coriander seed powder. Ensure the entire surface has coriander, grinding more seeds if needed.

Heat a 12-14 inch skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, film well with olive oil. When the oil is starting to “thin” out in the pan, add the thyme sprigs and butter and swirl to spread the butter out in the oil. When it stops foaming add the fish steaks.

Cook the fish, spooning the hot fat over the steaks. Tip the pan as needed to pool the fat as needed. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes until the fish is lightly browned. Spoon more fat over the fish and carefully turn the steaks over. Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the other side is golden. Gently prod the fish. It should feel like the area of your hand if you were to make a fist and keep the thumb and forefinger in the shape of an “O” while gently pushing them together. If you wish, cut into a steak and check color- there should be a hint if pink in the center. The fish will finish cooking due to “carry over”-residual heat-while the fish is plated.

Divide the fish between 4 plates, spoon warm sauce over the fish and finish with a drift of radish slices. Serve immediately.

Chef’s Tips: * The grind of the coriander should be like that of a pepper mill set for medium. You don’t want big chunks, but you don’t want fine powder either. I actually keep a pepper mill with coriander seeds on deck as I love the citrusy aroma and flavor coriander brings. It is important the fish be cut ½ inch thin. If it were thicker, the outside would either very browned or overcooked by the time you get the center done. Swordfish is rather rubbery and unpleasant when thickly cut and not cooked through, nearly as bad as when it is overcooked, dry, and has a texture like sawdust. Avoid this by paying attention to the fish in the pan.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen

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