Man, have we missed grilling and sitting outside this summer! This grilled Indonesian Swordfish was one of the last meals we grilled out on the old deck before it was demolished.
How can summer be almost over?
Deck Time has been very minimal this summer because our deck renovation is taking forever and a day to complete. I’m a calling it “Rome” because it was definitely not built in a day… or a week… or even two… Sorry, I digress. David’s Weber has been banished to the front yard and while he doesn’t let anything get in the way of grilling or smoking meat, the front yard is just a dry dirt hill with a little grass. The ambiance is important for the grilling and chilling experience. The front yard is pretty boring compared to our deck with a view. At least we got to enjoy this Grilled Indonesian Swordfish before they demo.
This simple, yet elegant Asian-inspired swordfish is full of rich, bold flavor cooked right at home on your grill. Swordfish has a rich, firm meaty flesh, with lots of flavor and texture. These characteristics make swordfish perfect for grilling. Like Mahi Mahi and Rockfish, Swordfish is one of the fish that I refer to as a “swimming steak”.
This grilled Indonesian Swordfish is an Ina Garten recipe that comes from her “Back to Basics” cookbook. I originally discovered this recipe while watching her show “Barefoot Contessa”, which aired on FoodNetwork, several years ago. At that time, I could not find any swordfish readily available, so I decided to use the marinade for this recipe on chicken instead. The versatile soy marinade works wonderfully on chicken and would work well with salmon, halibut or any of the other firm flesh grilling fish I mentioned previously. Ina definitely knew what she was doing when she created this marinade. No matter what you put this marinade on, it will be good!
Rinse the swordfish fillets under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel. Place into a zip top bag; set aside.
Whisk together the soy sauce, oil, lemon zest, juice, ginger, garlic, and Dijon in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the fillets; seal the bag pressing out as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
A half hour before serving, preheat the grill to medium-hot. Brush the grate with oil; remove the fish from marinade, trying to ensure some of the ginger and garlic cling to the fish. Discard marinade. Season the fish with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Place on the grill; cook 5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.
Remove from the grill; place on a platter. Allow the swordfish to rest about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
I served the swordfish with some roasted baby Yukon gold potatoes and steamed broccoli. This simple meal came together in just minutes, but tasted as though we had slaved for hours.
I hope this delicious recipe will bring smoke rings of love from your grill and a smile to your face when enjoying this simple weeknight meal!
p.s. I should mention that Ina’s original recipe served six, but since we were only grilling for two, I cut the marinade in half. You can find the larger serving HERE.
Grilled Indonesian Swordfish
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons canola oil + some for oiling grill grate
- 1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced or finely chopped ginger root
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 8 ounce swordfish steaks 1-inch thick
Instructions
- Rinse the swordfish fillets under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel. Place into a zip top bag; set aside.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, oil, lemon zest, juice, ginger, garlic, and Dijon in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the fillets; seal the bag pressing out as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- A half hour before serving, preheat the grill to medium-hot. Brush the grate with oil; remove the fish from marinade, trying to ensure some of the ginger and garlic cling to the fish. Discard marinade. Season the fish with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Place on the grill; cook 5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.
- Remove from the grill; place on a platter. Allow the swordfish to rest about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Liz says
Looks like a piece of steak. It must have tasted really nice by the look of it!
The Mountain Kitchen says
It was delicious! Thanks, Liz! 🙂
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
I haven’t eaten swordfish in a long time – I use to serve it with a sweet red pepper sauce! This looks delicious and my grill is working and ready to try something new 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks. I hope you will give this a go! ?
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
Those swordfish steaks look absolutely delicious! That’s probably one of my very favorite fish. I get creeped out by the texture of some fishv but this one is firm enough and yummy enough to make it a fav.
The Mountain Kitchen says
You should definitely try this Julie. It’s delicious!