Recipe Sicilian Swordfish (Pesce spada alla Siciliana)

Morning Glory

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Well, I really did think I’d come up with an original recipe. I bought some beautiful swordfish steaks and I was thinking about how they would work so well with salty olives and capers, sweet raisins and creamy pine nuts in a garlicky tomato sauce. Having ‘invented', cooked and photographed the dish I Googled the combo of ingredients and discovered that the Italians got there first! 'Twas ever thus. Here is what I did:

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Photographed today in daylight using Samsung Galaxy S7 phone camera

Ingredients
(serves 2)
2 swordfish steaks
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
A large splash of white wine (optional)
6 pitted black olives
4 large pitted green queen olive, sliced into rings
1 heaped tbsp raisins
1 tbsp pine nuts
12-15 capers
Salt to taste
Parsley to sprinkle

Method
  • Place the raisins in a small bowl and add boiling water. If you intend to cook the dish in the oven, heat oven to 180C.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chopped onions until softened. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a few more minutes, without browning.
  • Add the tomatoes and wine and cook over a medium-high heat until the tomatoes have reduced (5 mins). Drain the raisins and set aside.
  • You can now either cook on the hob or (as I did) finish the dish in the oven.
  • To cook in the frying pan, place the swordfish steaks in the pan first then add the other ingredients around them. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes until the swordfish is cooked through.
  • If you are cooking in the oven, place the swordfish in a shallow ovenproof dish, surround by the tomato sauce and add the other ingredients. Cook covered loosely in foil for 20 mins.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve with boiled new potatoes or rice.
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I like the look of that. I can get all of those ingredients locally, and it's ideal for a one pot meal given my current kitchen limitations.

I am a bit sceptical about the raisins though. Do they really work?
 
I also added a dash of the green olive pickling juice to the sauce. Its basically a simple tomato sauce with olives, capers, raisins and pine-nuts added!
Its quite tried and trusted to combine raisins, olives and capers. The famous Veneziana pizza in Pizza Express contains pine kernels, red onion, baby capers, black olives, sultanas, mozzarella and tomato. Quite similar really!
 
@morning glory

Morning Glory,

Wow. Fabulous ! Coincidence ! I prepare a dish that is similar ..

My ingredients are:
7 tblsps Italian Evoo from Calabria
5 large cloves of garlic minced
Sword Fish Steaks ( 1 for each person )
1 Tiny Shallot and 1 Leek minced finely
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil sliced finely
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
1/4 Cup approx Fresh Oregano Leaves sliced finely
2 cups of home made tomato sauce or 1 can of Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives ( Kalamata or similar )
2 Tablesps. Capers
White Wine - Sicilian or similar tasting profile
pine nuts and raisins
minced fresh parsley

I prepare mine in a large earthenware " cazuela " in the oven ..
I wanted to mention, Thanks for posting. I just made notes of your récipe in my notebook.
Have a marvelous weekend .. Almost 12am here ..
 
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Did you have to leave the eye on the lower fish?
Other than that it looks fabulous.
 
Yes the raisins work. Trust me!

@morning glory

Yes, the raisins work ! Trust me too .. I have prepared a very similar récipe for years .. I sub the onion for a combination of minced leek and minced shallot .. I also employ a few fresh herbs that are a bit different --

I use raisins too ..

Thanks for posting. Amazingly wonderful ..
 
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