GRILLED SWORDFISH

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Ingredients:

4 swordfish steaks, about 2 pounds

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 limes for squeezing over the fish, plus 4 wedges for serving

Mezcal (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salsa Macha (recipe follows)

You’ll also need: Wood chips, unsoaked

 

SUB RECIPE—SALSA MACHA

 

Makes 3 cups

 

1 cup sesame seeds

1 cup hulled peanuts

2/3 cup cashews

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

4 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded

2 chiles moritas

6 garlic cloves

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Sea salt

Instructions

Arrange the swordfish steaks in a baking dish.   Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.   Squeeze the lime juice over it, turning the fish.   Drizzle with mezcal, if using, and olive oil and marinate for 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, make the salsa macha.

 

Just before serving, set up the grill for direct grilling and heat to high.   Brush and oil the grill grate.   Add chips to your grill’s smoker box. Drain the fish.   Arrange the fish on a grate and grill until sizzling, browned, and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Give each filet a quarter turn half way through to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks.

 

Spoon the macha over a platter and arrange the fish on top. Add a wedge of lime to each steak.

  1. Toast the seeds, nuts, chiles, and garlic in a skillet without oil until lightly browned and very fragrant.

 

  1. Add the oil and cook over medium-high heat until the nuts are sizzling and the garlic begins to brown.

 

  1. Transfer the ingredients to a heatproof blender bowl and let cool. (Add the cranberries.

 

  1. Blend to a chunky puree, adding salt to taste.