Janie's Swordfish with Mango Salsa
Summer is upon us. Enter: Grilled Things With Salsa, a food group that I believe deserves it’s own category. If there were awards for this category, Janie’s Grilled Swordfish with Mango Salsa would win gold. The developer of this work of art is Janie Warnock, one of my best friends and previous roommate of over 3 years in LA. While Janie didn’t cook every night when we lived together, when she did, you knew it was about to go down. She followed a quality over quantity model, which I deeply respect. Janie cheffing was an occasion to rise to. We’ve made (and hosted, shout out Boccaccio) some of the best meals together, so I am honored to feature her recipe this week.
One caveat I will add about swordfish — I wouldn’t recommend eating it more than once a month (and only in the summer) because most swordfish contains high levels of mercury. Most fish contain traces of this heavy metal, but large fish at the top of the food chain like swordfish, mackerel, and tuna contain the highest levels of mercury as it accumulates over their long lifespans and through their diet of other contaminated fish. Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can wreak silent havoc on our bodies if left unchecked, causing immune deficiencies, chronic inflammation, leaky gut, allergies, and other conditions. I eat swordfish as a special occasion, and if I’m craving this recipe more often, I sub in another lean, meaty fish such as salmon steaks, halibut, or mahi-mahi. If you already know or suspect you have issues with heavy metal toxicity, I would skip swordfish altogether.
The best part about this recipe is the simple cooking method and the salsa, which will compliment any fish.
TOOLS: A grill is highly recommended, but if you don’t have one, a cast iron grill pan will do in a pinch.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
2 swordfish steaks (or other meaty/lean fish like salmon steaks, halibut, or mahi-mahi)
organic extra virgin olive oil
pink salt and pepper
1-2 ripe mangos, peeled, sliced, and diced
1/2 - 1 red onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved/quartered
1/2 - 1 serrano pepper (or other spicy pepper, if unavailable—Janie prefers red ones), somewhat seeded, and diced
1 head cilantro, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (more or less, to your liking)
juice of 1-2 limes
squeeze of lemon (optional)
1/2 - 1 avocado, cubed (optional)
STEPS:
Make the salsa (can be done hours ahead or overnight)—in a large bowl, add diced mango, diced onion, halved/quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, lime juice, and finish with the diced hot pepper (to avoid getting spicy fingers on everything). I don’t usually do the whole pepper as it depends on it’s size, so start small and add more spice if it needs it. Mix in cubed avocado if desired, but not if making ahead. Season generously with pink salt and pepper. Taste and add more of what you like! Put salsa in the fridge to get more flavorful while you make the fish.
Pat swordfish steaks dry. Drizzle with olive oil (~ 2 T) and rub all over to coat. Season well all over with pink salt and pepper. Let sit while you prepare the grill.
Preheat a grill to medium-high, or around 500-600 degrees. If desired/needed, lightly brush the grates with a little olive oil.
When grill is hot, lay swordfish steaks down and cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes a side, or until you see nice grill lines (pictured above). When done, the fish should not feel squishy, just nicely firm, and opaque all the way through. It shouldn’t appear rare or glassy on the inside. I find it much easier to tell if swordfish is done than when cooking steak—follow your intuition.
Transfer to a serving plate, and sprinkle more salt and pepper. Serve with mango salsa. Enjoy!
