Curried Swordfish With Tomatoes, Greens and Garlic Toast

By Sarah Copeland

Updated August 19, 2018

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(680)
Comments
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For a decade, swordfish was dangerously overfished. Over time, the North Atlantic swordfish stock has been rebuilt, and swordfish caught by American vessels are now sustainably fished. One thing hasn’t changed: Handled incorrectly, swordfish can be tough or dry. Searing, then steaming with the moisture that comes from braising greens and ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes, yields a moist and succulent steak. Make sure to use small grape or cherry tomatoes. When the tomatoes burst, the juices meld with the curry powder and the fat (ghee or oil) for a flavorful, spoonable sauce. Drizzle any extra over garlicky bread with a generous squeeze of lemon. If you don’t have ghee, cook the fish in a mixture of butter and vegetable oil, which will give you all the high-heat flexibility of ghee with the rich, flavorful finish of butter.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

  • 1 ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 4 (8-ounce) swordfish steaks

  • 1 small bunch mustard greens or other braising greens, like kale or chard (about 6 ounces), stemmed and torn into big bite-size pieces

  • 10 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes

  • 1 ciabatta loaf or baguette, sliced

  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

48 grams carbs; 150 milligrams cholesterol; 632 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1040 milligrams sodium; 55 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the ghee or oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Stir together the curry, paprika, salt and pepper. Pat the swordfish dry, and season on both sides with the spice mixture. Cook one side of the fish without moving it, until it is golden and releases easily, about 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Flip the fish, add the greens and tomatoes (on the vine), scattering evenly over the top of the fish. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and cook over medium heat until greens are wilted, tomatoes have burst and fish is just cooked through but still very moist, 4 to 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, toast the bread: While warm, rub each piece vigorously with the garlic clove.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the fish from the heat and serve immediately, with toasted garlic bread, spooning the juices from the pan over each portion. Squeeze lemon over the top.

Tip

  • Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
680 user ratings
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Comments

Jonathan

The swordfish at the market didn't look terribly appealing, so I got a thick cod filet instead. Worked like a champ.

anne chaney

I used baby spinach but next time will use a sturdier green and maybe a couple cloves of chopped garlic. I also added a can of cannellini beans which looked and tasted terrific. Very fast, very very delicious.

Eileen

Great recipe! Made this with basmati rice instead of garlic bread, so I added two minced garlic cloves to the greens and tomatoes. With this recipe it’s important to prep the ingredients before you start cooking. Everything comes together very fast.

Ditte

Very good recipe. Tastes delicious. I used one small zucchini and one small yellow squash in place of the greens. Sliced thinly they came out great. I also added 2-3 finely chopped garlic to it all as it cooked. Tasted great. Didn't need the bread.

Tammy

Fish was perfectly cooked - beautiful way to not overcook swordfish. Flavorwise - meh. Will try the technique with different spice level.

Amber

I used some sun dried tomato bread instead of the garlic bread, and it was delicious!

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