Garlic & Black Pepper Grilled Swordfish Steaks

Swordfish spend a few months in the summer and fall actually out off New England's coast, so there’s a chance that you could catch one if you head out on a charter this weekend. However, if you’re not jonesin’ to score the prized fish of your lifetime, the good news is that most fish markets should have a good selection of steaks from fresh local and flown in daily catch.

This focus of this recipe is to keep it simple. Simple translates to minimal ingredients and prep time to really enhance the natural flavor and hearty texture particular to swordfish. Of course, the grill plays its part by lending smoky richness throughout the cooking process. Rub the fish with a bit of olive oil,  pasted garlic, kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. Allow the swordfish to sit for the flavors to meld for at least 30 minutes, and then its ready to hit the grill.

Just a couple of tips to get your grill rip roarin' and ready to go: Clean the grates thoroughly with a wire brush so there are no burnt on pieces or remnants from last year's cooking. If it's really bad, fully remove them from the grill, and soak the grates in a bucket with warm water and regular dish soap which helps to degrease and remove cooking grime. Give them a good scrub down and rinse with the hose. Don't forget to clean out or replace the drip pan as well. When you're ready to cook, heat the grill to medium to warm up the grates. Using tongs, rub a rolled up paper towel soaked in veggie or canola oil over the grates. For best results, 'season' the grill this way every time you cook.

Garlic and Black Pepper Grilled Swordfish

serves 2

• 4, 8 oz. swordfish steaks, sliced 1 inch thick

• olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic

• kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon

1. Grate the garlic into a paste using a zester or fine grater. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and stir to combine with a fork.

2. Rub the fish all over with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil each, until they are just shiny, and place them onto a large plate. Next, rub half of the pasted garlic into the top side of each piece of fish, followed by a sprinkling of salt and pepper each. Flip the swordfish steaks over, and repeat with the remaining garlic, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow the fish to rest for 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. Let the fish rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before cooking.

3. Heat the grill to high. Slice a lemon into rounds, and brush each slice with a little olive oil.

4. Grill the swordfish steaks along side the lemon slices over high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through inside, a nicely charred crust forms around the edges. Remove the fish from the grill, top with charred lemon slices, and serve immediately.