Agghiotta Di Pesce Spada

Updated March 1, 2023

Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(20)
Comments
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Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Featured in: FOOD; Salute to Summer's End

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Ingredients

Yield:Six servings
  • 2 tablespoons sultana raisins

  • 3 swordfish steaks, approximately 1 inch thick, weighing a total of 1 ½ to 2 pounds

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed with the flat blade of a knife

  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts

  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • ½ cup pitted Mediterranean-style green olives

  • 1 8-ounce can imported Italian tomatoes

  • 3 bay leaves

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

11 grams carbs; 45 milligrams cholesterol; 275 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 296 milligrams sodium; 15 grams protein; 4 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

    Place the raisins in a small bowl of hot water to soften and plump them while you proceed with the recipe.

  2. Step 2

    Lightly flour each side of the swordfish steaks. Over medium-high heat, saute the steaks briefly in two tablespoons of olive oil, just enough to brown them - about two to three minutes to a side. Set the browned steaks aside.

  3. Step 3

    Turn the heat to low, add three tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan and gently stew the thinly sliced onions, 15 to 20 minutes, until they are soft. Add the garlic, pine nuts, celery, capers and olives. Drain the sultanas and add to the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Add the tomatoes to the pan, raise heat again and cook all ingredients together rapidly, approximately 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat.

  5. Step 5

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Place half the sauce in a shallow oven dish. Arrange the steaks in the dish and spoon the remaining sauce on top. Place a bay leaf on each steak. Bake the swordfish steaks for seven to nine minutes, or until they are cooked through but still juicy. Do not overcook. Serve immediately. (They may also be set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.)

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Ratings

4 out of 5
20 user ratings
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Comments

This is an old-fashioned Italian recipe which has become a New Year's Eve tradition in my family. The sauce imparts a rich, complex and delicious flavor to fresh swordfish steaks. I follow the recipe precisely except for adding a little more crushed Italian tomatoes along with a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the sauce. Depending on the thickness of the steaks, the dish may need to be baked longer than 10 minutes. Guests always demand the recipe.

Made this using two swordfish steaks for two people, kept all the other ingredients the same except bay leaves (used two) and substituted dried currants for sultanas. Tasted great and the swordfish didn't come out too tough! The flavors and textures balance really well, and the onions add bulk, almost like a pasta. Definitely impressive looking and nice to do if you have all the stuff.

This is an old-fashioned Italian recipe which has become a New Year's Eve tradition in my family. The sauce imparts a rich, complex and delicious flavor to fresh swordfish steaks. I follow the recipe precisely except for adding a little more crushed Italian tomatoes along with a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the sauce. Depending on the thickness of the steaks, the dish may need to be baked longer than 10 minutes. Guests always demand the recipe.

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Credits

Swordfish from the Straits of Messina, adapted from a recipe in "Le Ricette Regionali Italiane" by Anna Gosetti della Salda, Milano, 1967

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