Swordfish couldn’t be easier to gril, which makes it perfect for entertaining. (See Vineyard Flavors, Easy Entertaining.) Heat your grill to medium-high, clean your grill grates, and coat your swordfish steaks with a bit of mayonnaise, which will help keep them moist and prevent sticking.
You can top grilled swordfish with any kind of summery sauce or compote, but I like to use my Roasted Tomato-Ginger Compote. I make it ahead, and with some fresh basil on hand, this dish comes together in a snap. For the basil, try a different variety, such as Thai basil or lemon basil. Note that you will need some basil while making the compote, and additional basil for serving the swordfish.
Serves 4
- 2 to 2¼ pounds (1¼-inch-thick) swordfish steak, cut into 4 pieces
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Roasted Tomato-Ginger Compote (see recipe link below)
- ¼ cup fresh small basil leaves or a few tablespoons thinly sliced or chopped basil (preferably lemon basil or Thai basil, but any basil is fine)
1. Heat a gas grill on medium-high heat. Scrape the grill grates to make sure they are clean.
2. Season the swordfish pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat one side of each swordfish piece generously with half of the mayonnaise.
3. Arrange the fish on the grill grates, mayonnaise side down. Before closing the grill, brush the top sides with the remaining mayonnaise. Cook for about 6 minutes (you should have nice grill marks) and carefully flip the fish over with a metal spatula. Cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, or until the swordfish is cooked to your liking.
4. Remove the swordfish from the grill and arrange on serving plates. Top each piece of fish with some of the tomato-ginger compote and garnish with a generous sprinkling of herb leaves or chopped herbs. Serve right away.
