Pan-Seared Swordfish Steaks
Mildly flavored but meaty swordfish steaks are best when cooked quickly over high heat, where they acquire a golden-brown crust. Slow cooking gives their enzymes the time to break down the proteins in these dense steaks, rendering them unappealingly mushy. To speed up cooking, we seared them in a hot skillet, flipping them frequently so that they cooked from both the bottom up and the top down. To keep each bite juicy, we made sure to remove the steaks from the heat when they reached 130 degrees and let carryover cooking bring them up to the desired temperature of 140 degrees.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds swordfish steaks ¾ to 1 inch thick, skinless
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- While oil heats, pat steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle on both sides with salt.
- Place the steaks in skillet and cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until golden brown and centers register 130°, 7 to 11 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
For the best results, purchase swordfish steaks that are ¾ to 1 inch thick. Look for four steaks that weigh 7 to 9 ounces each or two steaks that weigh about 1 pound each. If you purchase the latter, cut them in half to create four steaks. We've found that skin-on swordfish often buckles in the hot skillet. Ask your fishmonger to remove the skin or trim it yourself with a thin, sharp knife. Serve with Caper-Currant Relish, Spicy Dried Mint–Garlic Sauce, or Harissa-Oregano Sauce.