Pan Seared Swordfish Steaks

Fish comes in all shapes and sizes. Some is bony, some fishy, and, some have the consistency of regular meat. Swordfish falls under the last category. This makes it quite versatile, it grills up nicely, but, also pan sears very well. That’s the subject of this post, pan seared swordfish steaks.

As usual I’ll start with some background about swordfish. When we discuss swordfish, Tuna, shark, and some others, mercury gets mentioned, and, there’s reason why. There are two occurrences of mercury, one is natural, and one is man made. Unfortunately most of the mercury found in fish is man made. Mercury is released into the air as a pollutant. It mixes with the moisture in the atmosphere forming methylmercury, which, as rain, flows into the rivers and streams and finds its way into the ocean. Fish, in turn, absorb the mercury and it remains in their system. Not all fish have the potential for elevated levels of mercury, generally, the further up the food chain (those that eat other fish), the higher the levels. Unfortunately swordfish is one of those.

Fish, on the other hand, is certainly part of a healthy diet, high in protein and omega-3 oils. The key here is moderation. There are many different species of fish that are less susceptible to elevated levels of mercury, they can be incorporated into your diet too. But swordfish is delicious, and quite healthy, just don’t eat it every night. There is a wealth of information on the subject online, take the opportunity to review some of this, as with all research, please go to reputable sites for information. Government and health care sites are probably more trustworthy than someplace you’ve never heard of. Remember, knowledge is power.

Now, moving on to the cooking process of the pan seared swordfish steaks. As I had mentioned, swordfish meat has the consistency of regular meat. This makes it easier to cook in the pan without it falling apart. There are two things to take into consideration with this recipe. First is the seasoning. I love the taste of swordfish, I don’t want to mask it with a lot of seasonings. Simple salt and pepper works just fine here. Second is the cooking vessel.

My preference for pan searing is always cast iron, no matter what I’m cooking, and there’s science behind it. A regular pan does not have the ability to store heat, when the meat is put it, there is a temperature drop, it has to reheat before it can sear. Cast iron has the ability to store a lot of heat, when the meat is put in the pan, there is no temperature drop, the meat sears the moment it’s dropped in the pan. Creating that golden brown caramelization we look for.

The best way to preheat cast iron is to put it in the oven for 15 mins at 350. Because the swordfish steaks will take the least amount of time to cook, the skillet can preheat while the side dishes cook. When the pan is hot, place on the stove top over medium heat, add some oil and swirl around the pan, be aware the pan is hot, and ready to cook immediately. Drop the swordfish steaks in the pan and let cook for 4 mins. There will be some splatter, just be aware of it. Now turn the steaks over for another 4 mins. You’ll see they are nicely caramelized. When done plate immediately. And pair with a side of your choice, I like rice pilaf, but oven fries are good to, or whatever is your choice