Eggplant contains chlorogenic acid, has antiviral and antibacterial properties, and helps lower harmful cholesterol (LDL). Anthocyanins, the pigments that give eggplant its color, also function as antioxidant and antiinflammatory compounds.
This week’s recipe for swordfish with sweet, sour, and spicy eggplant is every bit as decadent (and healthy!) as it sounds. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Swordfish With Sweet, Sour, And Spicy Eggplant
How to Dress an Egg: Surprising and Simple Ways to Cook Dinner
Ned Baldwin and Peter Kaminsky (2020)
Ingredients
- Oil-Poached Garlic or Shallots (optional)
- 15 garlic cloves or 3–4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 cups canola or grapeseed oil (Canola and grapeseed oils are both neutral tasting with medium-high smoke points [canola oil 400°F, grape seed oil 420°F]. They are ideal for baking, stir-frying, oven-cooking and all lower-temperature cooking applications)
- Celery
- 4 celery stalks
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or oil from Oil-Poached Garlic or Shallots
- Kosher salt
- Fire-Roasted Eggplant
- 1 globe eggplant (~2 pounds) or 4 small Italian eggplants (~¼ pound each)
- Vegetables
- ¾ cup olive oil (the recipe called for 1 cup, but less seems to work fine)
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained and dried on a paper towel
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 10 anchovy fillets
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 5–10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- Swordfish
- 1½ pounds swordfish steaks, about 1½ inches thick
- 2 Tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8–12 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Oil-Poached Garlic or Shallots (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 225°F. Put the garlic or shallots in a small ovenproof saucepan and add the oil. Place in the oven. Check after 45 minutes; if the garlic or shallots mash easily with a fork, they are done. If not done, bake for 15 minutes or more until the garlic or shallots are very soft. Let cool, then store in the refrigerator. The garlic or shallots should keep well for a few weeks.
- Celery
- Trim the celery and slice lengthwise in half. Cut into squarish pieces about ¾ inches long. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, season with a pinch of salt, and stir-fry until the celery turns light green, about 2 minutes. It should be softened, but a little crunchy. Set aside to cool.
- Fire-Roasted Eggplant
- Place the eggplant on a grill over high heat or cook directly on a gas burner turned to medium high. Turn the eggplant from time to time to char on all sides. When it is done, the skin will typically have turned darker purple, almost black, and will puff up and then collapse a bit. Squeeze the eggplant to make sure it is tender. A 2-pound eggplant takes about 10–15 minutes; Italian eggplants take about 10 minutes. Set the eggplant aside to cool. Gently peel the eggplant; don’t worry if there are a few flecks of burned or black skin here and there. (Note: To remove any residual water, drain the eggplant pulp in a wire mesh strainer before proceeding with the swordfish recipe.)
- Vegetables
- Set a strainer over a heatproof bowl. Combine the olive oil and sliced garlic in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. As the garlic colors, swirl it around in the oil so that it cooks evenly; when it is golden brown, pour the contents of the saucepan into the strainer. Set the drained garlic aside and return the oil to the pan. Add the capers and cook 3–4 minutes, then pour the contents of the saucepan into the strainer. Set the capers aside and return the oil to the saucepan. Add the onion, season lightly with salt, and cook for 5–8 minutes, until softened but still with some bite. Pour into the strainer, then set the onions aside and return the oil to the saucepan. Add the fennel, seasoning lightly with salt, and cook for 8–12 minutes, until mostly but not entirely soft. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly, 2–3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring, until they have broken down. Add the red wine vinegar, sugar, and basil as well as the cooked garlic, capers, onion and celery, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes to blend all the ingredients. Remove to a bowl.
- Swordfish
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove any skin from the swordfish. Heat the oil in a wide ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the swordfish and cook on each side until light brown, 2–3 minutes per side. Put the pan into the oven to finish cooking the fish, 6–8 minutes. (*Note:* To ensure that the fish is not overcooked and dry, the target temperature on an instant-read thermometer is 125°F.) To serve, check the vegetable mixture for seasoning, spoon over the swordfish, and garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
This dish can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. The original recipe actually called for cubing the fish before cooking and adding it to the finished eggplant, which could be the preferred approach if the dish will not be served hot (e.g., at a picnic).
The purpose of the serial steps of frying the garlic, capers, onions, and fennel in the same oil is to build more flavor. I have partially sautéed the fennel before adding the onion and garlic without any discernible change in flavor.