This started out as a recipe from the barefoot contessa: Sicilian Grilled Swordfish; but, it was cold and dark, and there was no way my husband was gonna grill, so, air fryer it was. And, though I loved the look of her lemon sauce, I have a few things that I, personally, have to do when I make swordfish…
I like to pour milk over the steaks to cover, then stash in the fridge for an hour or three to soak – to me, it seems to bring out the sweetness in the fish.
Then, whether grilling or air frying, I am gonna brush both sides of my swordfish with mayonnaise, or a mayonnaise mixture, before cooking, to help give the fish a crust, while keeping it tender inside.
So, those changes made, I was ready to start.
INGREDIENTS
Swordfish:
•2 swordfish steaks
•Milk
•1 tbsp pizza sauce
•1 tbsp ranch dressing
•1 tbsp mayonnaise
•Seasoned Salt
•Black pepper
Lemon Sauce:
•2 tbsp lemon juice
•1/4 cup olive oil
•1 tsp dried oregano
•1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
•1 tsp Kosher salt
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
First things first; arrange the swordfish in a single layer in a dish then pour milk (I use whole milk) over to cover the fish. Cover the dish and stash in the fridge for a few hours. Again, I think that this helps to bring out the sweetness of the fish – I tend to do this with all white fleshed fish, and scallops, too.
Next, make the lemon sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together, then setting aside until needed.
Note: I used my immersion blender.
When ready to cook the swordfish, remove from the milk bath (discard the milk).
Stir the mayonnaise together with the ranch dressing and pizza sauce, then brush over both sides of the swordfish.
Note: plain mayonnaise works a treat here, too, but I was trying to add a hint of tomato to the fish before I hit it with the lemon sauce at the very end.
Heat your air fryer to 400º and arrange the swordfish in a single layer in the basket.
Note: some air fryers do not need to be preheated, so check the instruction manual for your machine.
Season the swordfish with a bit of the Seasoned Salt and black pepper, then pop into the air fryer for four minutes.
Pull the swordfish out of the air fryer, flip over, and, again, lightly season with Seasoned Salt and black pepper.
Return to the air fryer for another four to six minutes, until the swordfish is cooked through and flakes easily.
Remove from the air fryer and transfer to rimmed plate or platter.
Poke holes in the fish with the tines of a fork, then pour the lemon sauce evenly over all, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for five minutes.
Transfer to plates and serve.
We thought scallion pancakes (from the freezer section at Trader Joe’s) made for the perfect side, but you could also go with the contessa’s original idea and serve the swordfish over a bed of baby arugula.
I also might not say “no” to baby spinach.