- 1 1/2 pounds swordfish steak – at least 1 inch thick
- 3 tablespoons canola
- Salt and pepper (kosher or sea salt works best)
For the lemon-garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Grated zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley for garnish, snipped or cut into small pieces
Take the swordfish out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
Set the oven to 400°F.
Pan-roast the swordfish
Follow these pan roasting instructions to cook the swordfish.
You’ll be surprised by how quickly the swordfish steak finishes cooking in the oven. For example, the steak in the photo above was almost 2 inches thick, but it was done after only about 13 minutes in the oven. I usually start checking swordfish after about 10 minutes – the moment it flakes easily with a fork, it’s done.
Make the lemon-garlic sauce
You can make the sauce while the swordfish steaks roast in the oven – so fast and easy to do, and the smell is addictive.
1. Add the butter and olive oil to a small skillet, and melt over low heat.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over very low heat (you don’t want to burn the garlic!) until the garlic begins to turn light brown. Set aside until the fish is done.
2. Use a spatula to carefully remove the swordfish from the pan and put it on a serving platter.
3. Add the white wine to the cooking pan and stir to deglaze – remember to use oven mitts when touching the hot pan! Pour the wine mixture into the skillet with the garlic, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the volume. Remove from the heat, and stir in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour over the swordfish, and garnish with the parsley.
Serving suggestions
Serve this delicious swordfish with lemon-garlic sauce with linguine or another type of pasta, a green vegetable such as steamed broccoli, and crusty slices of French bread.