Grilling is one of the tastiest as well as the healthiest way of cooking almost any type of fish. If you want a particular fish that is meaty and can be an alternative for your red meat proteins, I highly recommend trying swordfish.
It is a great alternative is you are tired of having tuna or salmon. The mildly sweet flavor that swordfish has is perfect especially if you pair it with some tasty marinade.
Grilling is the best way to enjoy it, but you might be wondering how to grill swordfish the right way. It is a fact that a swordfish steak can be very easy to overcook.
That is why I will be sharing with you a delicious, and more importantly, a very simple recipe of grilled swordfish on a gas grill.
A Guide To Buying Swordfish
It is almost impossible to see an entire swordfish in your local fish market and even at the grocery store. That is because this particular fish is actually very large.
It is also the reason why it can be quite difficult to determine if it is fresh or not. When choosing other types of fish, you can check the eyes as well as gills.
You can obviously not look at those things to check the freshness of the swordfish, but there are still ways to figure it out.
Color: Swordfish are often sold in steak form, and a sign that is fresh is the color of the meat. It should be light and has a hint of pink. If the swordfish has a tint of brown, then you should skip it because it is not fresh at all. The darker part of the muscle is a hint that it is old since it should have a reddish tint to it.
Smell: Just like any other fish, a stinky smell can determine if the swordfish is fresh or not. It should smell like the fresh ocean breeze. If it has a foul smell to it then it is most likely not fresh.
Thickness: Since you will be grilling a swordfish, one great tip that I would like to share is to get a perfect sized swordfish. It should be about one and a half inches thick. If you choose a swordfish steak that is thinner than that, there are chances that it can easily overcook and it will fall apart when you try to flip it. When it comes to size, it should depend on how many people you are trying to feed. It is sometimes better to get a large piece then simply have it portioned into equal sizes.
Note: I always recommend buying your fish the same day that you will be using it to ensure its freshness. But if not, they can be properly stored in your freezer for a day or two.
How To Grill Swordfish On A Gas Grill
The swordfish alone is great but you can always pair it up with something that will surely make your experience better. I recommend preparing a salsa with it just to make it even more flavorful after the grill.
The key is to make sure you pair it with something that can still make swordfish the star of the show. Salsa is great for any fish since it brings out the freshness.
What You Will Need
- Swordfish
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Thermometer
Sweet Salsa (Optional)
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1 diced green pepper
- 1 diced yellow pepper
- ½ diced red onion
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Chopped basil
- Chopped cilantro
What You Need To Do
Step 1 – Preheat The Grill
One of the most important things that you must not forget is to preheat your grill. It does not matter what you may be grilling, setting up your grill so that it is hot and ready to go is essential. Make sure that it is cleaned and oil before you heat it up.
Step 2 – Prepare The Swordfish
While you are waiting for your grill to heat up, you can now prepare your swordfish. Pat both sides of your fish with a paper towel. Rub some oil to it so that it will not stick to the grill. Season it with salt, pepper, as well as some other spices that you prefer.
Note: Always season your fish right when you are about to grill it. Salt can take the moisture out of the fish which can make it dry if you season it way before it needs to be cooked.
Step 3 – Time To Grill
When your gas grill is all hot and ready, place your fish however you want on the hottest part of the grill. Make sure that you let it have some grill marks by giving it enough time to sear.
Try your best not to move it prematurely to ensure the beautiful grill marks. Use your spatula to check if it is properly seared, which you can easily put it underneath the fish then it is ready.
Turn it to the opposite side so that you can create good grill marks. It can take about 4-5 minutes to get a good sear. You can brush your swordfish with some olive oil while it is grilling to keep it moist.
Step 4 – Doneness And Resting
5 minutes each side is usually how long you should grill your swordfish. However, it can still be quite tricky especially if you are aiming to cook it at a medium to medium-well temperature.
The safest temperature to consume swordfish is around 145 F so you can use your thermometer and carefully check your swordfish. Then again, if you wish to make it medium, 130 F is still good.
Take it off the grill and let it rest for not less than 5 minutes before serving.
Note: The FDA stated that swordfish actually contains a high level of mercury compared to other types of fish. That is why it is ideal to not consume them regularly.
Step 5 – Combine Your Salsa
While your swordfish is resting, you can now combine all of the ingredients of your salsa. This is something that you can always do hours before you have to grill if you don’t want to do it after. Simply mix them all together and season it with some salt and pepper.
Step 6 – Serve And Enjoy
When your salsa is ready, serve it along with your swordfish right away. I prefer taking a spoonful of the salsa and have it over the fish. However, you can always just let it be on the side.
There you have it, that is how easy it is to grill swordfish right in the comfort of your own home. You can also pair it with some grilled vegetables as well. Hopefully, this manages to help you out and don’t forget to leave a comment down below to let us know how yours turned out.
Recommended Read: How to Ace the Best Way to Grill Steak for Restaurant-Quality Meat