Steamed Swordfish Bagnara-Style

Name: Steamed Swordfish Bagnara-Style
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 2 pounds swordfish steak, 1 1/4 inches thick, with skin; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 5 tablespoons small capers, drained; 4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; A 4-quart baking dish, 10 by 15 inches, or similar size; a roasting pan large enough to hold the baking dish inside it (on the rack); a sturdy flat metal baking/roasting rack to fit inside the roasting pan

December 9, 2011

As I wrote in this chapter’s introduction, the fishermen of Bagnara, a beautiful port on the Calabrian coast just north of the Strait of Messina, are renowned for their skill in catching the magnificent swordfish that migrate to this corner of the Tyrrhenian Sea every year. During our recent visit, I was not surprised to learn that the cooks of Bagnara are equally skilled when it comes to cooking pesce spada as well. The recipe I share with you here is among the simplest and best I have ever tasted, anywhere. Of course, as always in seafood cookery, the freshness of the fish is the key to success, so be sure to get swordfish at its absolute best.

Recipe notes

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