simple swordfish with caper butter sauce
grilling fish, and cooking out of our comfort zone!
Hi friends!
It occurred to me recently that I genuinely can’t remember the last time I cooked something for the first time. So at the top of the summer I made a promise to myself to make more of a conscious effort to push myself a little outside my comfort zone and attempt some new proteins/preparations.
For example this past Sunday, I had dinner on the beach with some friends and fam and I grilled a whole red snapper on a little Weber grill (see below). I oiled and seasoned the before wrapping it tightly in a foil swaddle, transferring to the grill, covering (as much as I could) with a lid, and cooking for about 7 minutes a side. It wasn’t the most elegant preparation, but it was easy and stress free. And that’s exactly what an ideal beach BBQ should be!
This wasn’t my first time making red snapper, however. The fish that I conquered for the first time ever was actually swordfish. Unlike the delicate and flaky white fish that I’m used to, swordfish is typically cooked more similar to a steak, over direct high heat until you get a nice sear on the outside and a perfectly medium cook on the inside. I prefer a much more hands off approach to cooking fish, like baking, steaming, poaching, or swaddling in foil, where a risk of stickage is almost impossible. So I’ve gone my entire culinary afraid to grill fish of any kind. And I figured it was about time I fixed that.
Spoiler, it was so much easier than I thought, and now i feel silly for having put it off for so long. So I hope these success stories give you a little inspiration to also try cooking out of your comfort zone. Who knows, you may surprise yourself!
Grilled Swordfish with Caper Butter Sauce
Normally I refuse to attempt to grill fish, but I’ll make an exception for swordfish. It is considered a very “meaty” fish, and it cooks more similar to a steak than a delicate filet of fish. Which allows for the meat to hold up great on the grill. Despite its firm texture, the flavor is actually quite similar to other more delicate white fish, like halibut. In fact, I’d go as far to say it tastes like chicken (or at least you could trick your child into thinking such). I like to get a hard sear on the outside, then cook almost all the way through. Swordfish can dry out quickly, so be sure not to overcook. This is also why the butter sauce goes so great with it!