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From Gaff to Grill
By CHEF RALPH PAGANO
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Country-style Swordfish Steaks
If a swordfish could talk, it would probably
roar because it is one badass fish. Swordfish
is undeniably one of the most incredible fish
to catch, cook and eat. Ten years ago, there was a
chef-instituted boycott of the prehistoric fish. The
feeling was the swordfish was being over fished
commercially and that if chefs took it off their menus,
it would give the species time to procreate and
multiply. It worked. When the boycott was instituted
a bunch of slick guys from Chile began marketing
their hometown fish to take swordfish’s place on
menus across America. That fish was then known as
the “Patagonian tooth fish” but it didn’t have that nice
ring and no monger could spell Patagonian without
a spell checker, and thus Chilean sea bass was born.
I will say that I like to eat Chilean sea bass, I like to
cook Chilean sea bass and I even like to say Chilean
sea bass, but since I am not going to Rapa Nui (a
little island the size of Boca Raton off the coast of
Chile) this week, I am going to tell you more about
the swordfish. Because this is one fish I want to catch.
Maybe one of my captain colleagues will take me out
if I ask nicely.
The swordfish, besides having the coolest name
of all fish (think: flounder, fluke or bass) are strong,
fast, and smart and has a mean, long sword at the
end of his beak. If you were ever caught in front of a
swordfish, you’d understand. The sword is a great fish
to eat. When cut into steaks, it cooks great. The sword
even has two “chops” up in the front underneath the
collar bones that, when cut by a fisherman with skill
and a sharp knife, looks a lot like a long bone veal
chop. Try that with a Chilean sea bass. Given that
description, you can cook swordfish like meat and like
fish. I like to cook my sword in a pan, locking in all
the juices and making a nice crisp shell on the outside,
while keeping the meat moist and tender on the inside.
The following recipe is one that is good year-round
and you can be a real hero when you serve it. The
ingredients are easy to find. Cook this fish thoroughly.
Also be sure to cut out the bloodline.
Put it in your mouth and enjoy!
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