Swordfish is a fantastic fish. Not only is it extremely low in fat and calories, but it’s got quite a meaty texture as well which surprises even the most hesitant of fish eaters. So if you’re on a health kick and trying to cut back on meats, then swordfish is a great fish to add into your diet due to the amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids.
However, if you’re pregnant then be sure to avoid swordfish as it has a higher mercury content than most fish. Before you start to worry, all fish carry mercury to a certain extent but because swordfish is higher up the fishy food chain it contains a higher amount than most. Eating it is perfectly safe, but you’re better off eating swordfish two to three times a month just to be on the safe side.
That’s the science lesson over, back to the food! This dish sees the swordfish paired with a wonderful Balsamic Cherry Tomato side dish which, as a whole, comes in at a meagre 450 calories, so you could add a portion of wholemeal rice to the meal and still have a very low-calorie and healthy meal which is guaranteed to leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Swordfish Steak with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Print RecipeIngredients
- For the fish:
- 400g Swordfish Steak
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes
- For the tomatoes:
- 250g Cherry Tomatoes
- 2tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 x Red Chilli
- 1 x Garlic Clove
- 2 tbsp Fresh Basil
- 2 tbsp Capers
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Take the swordfish steak and place it into a bowl, and sprinkle over the salt, pepper, chilli flakes and rub into the fish.
Add the lemon juice into the bowl over the swordfish - this will help cure the fish in the citrus and actually start to "cook" the fish a little. Place to one side.
Chop the red chilli, and crush the garlic clove.
Place a frying pan over a high heat until the pan starts to smoke a little, and then add your tomatoes to the pan and cook them until they start to blister and blacken a little.
Add the olive oil to the pan with the tomatoes and then add in the chilli, capers and garlic and cook for a further minute or so.
Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan. Be careful! This will cause a lot of smoke and spitting, so you may want to remove the pan from the heat first. Now turn the heat down to medium and cook the tomatoes for about 10 minutes, making sure to move the tomatoes around every so often.
Once the balsamic vinegar has reduced and the tomatoes have softened, remove the heat and add the basil - unchopped - to the tomatoes and allow them to wilt. If you put the basil in too early then you'll lose that wonderful flavour, so just allowing it to wilt into the still-hot tomatoes will keep as much of that strong basil aroma as possible.
Place another pan - preferably a griddle pan - over a medium-high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot add a drizzle of olive oil, remove the swordfish from the bowl and cook in the pan for few minutes on each side, until you get some lovely charring on the steak. Serve with the tomatoes and enjoy.
