Pan-Seared Swordfish with Olive-Citrus Relish
For this simple seafood dinner, we take our cue from the Mediterranean, where cooks use citrus and olives in abundance. The zesty relish, which makes a great match for meaty swordfish, features three types of citrus—grapefruit, Cara Cara orange and pomelo. The largest of the citrus fruits, pomelo tastes similar to a grapefruit but is sweeter. Other varieties of citrus, such as navel oranges, tangerines or blood oranges, would work equally well.
Ingredients
For the relish:
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs. warm water
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ruby grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
- 1 Cara Cara orange, peeled and cut into segments
- 1 small pomelo, peeled and cut into segments
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) pitted and chopped Castelvetrano olives
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 swordfish fillets, each about 6 oz. (185 g) and 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) thick- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
Directions
To make the olive-citrus relish, in a bowl, stir together the vinegar, warm water and sugar. Add the onion and submerge in the liquid. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain the onion, discarding the liquid. Wipe out the bowl. In the bowl, toss together the grapefruit, orange, pomelo, olives and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Set aside.
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C).
Season the swordfish with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the swordfish and cook until a golden crust forms, about 3 minutes. Turn the fish and cook until lightly browned underneath, about 1 minute.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon half over the fish. Top with the relish and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen