Grilled Swordfish alla Siciliana

About This Recipe

Sicilian cooking leans heavily on grilled fish paired with punchy, briny toppings, and swordfish is a favorite because its firm, meaty texture holds up well on the grill. This dish keeps the fish simple — just olive oil, salt, and quick high heat — and lets a fresh tomato, caper, and olive salsa do the flavor work. The salsa comes together while the grill heats, so by the time the swordfish is done, the tomatoes have had a few minutes to release their juice and mingle with the olives and capers into a loose, chunky sauce that's spooned generously over the hot fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4swordfish steaks(about 200g each)
• 3 tbspolive oil(plus more for the salsa)
• 400 gcherry tomatoes(halved)
• 0.33 cupgreen olives(pitted and chopped)
• 2 tbspcapers
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 0.25 cupfresh parsley(chopped)
• 1lemon(juiced and zested)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the swordfish

   Pat swordfish dry, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the salsa

   Combine tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and zest, and 2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season lightly and let sit while the grill heats.

3. 3

   Grill the fish

   Grill swordfish over high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until opaque throughout and lightly charred.

   Swordfish overcooks fast — pull it as soon as it flakes easily.

4. 4

   Rest briefly

   Let the fish rest 2 minutes off the grill.

5. 5

   Top and serve

   Spoon the tomato-caper-olive salsa generously over the grilled swordfish and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Use tuna steaks instead of swordfish for a similar meaty texture.

• •

  Add chopped Kalamata olives instead of green for a stronger, more assertive flavor.

• •

  Finish with a scattering of toasted pine nuts for extra crunch and a nod to Sicilian sweet-savory cooking.

Storage

Best eaten fresh; leftover fish keeps 1 day refrigerated but is best served cold over salad rather than reheated.

Frequently Asked Questions