Swordfish with Olive Oil, Lemon and Parsley

This is mock pan fried fish but this kind of fried won't send you to the cardiac wing. Buttery swordfish filets are my favorite fish of choice for this quick pan supper. I can't imagine anyone not loving them but if you don't or they're just too expensive at the time, this recipe will work with just about any thin fish filet, you'll just have to adjust the cooking times.

If the Queen's coming for dinner: Use sage leaves instead of parsley. They're so pretty pressed into the fish that she'll surely come to dine again.

Tip: Ask your fish-man (even if it's the guy behind the bell at the u-pak grocery shack) to remove the skin for you. Great. For fish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound skinless swordfish steak, cut 3/8" thick
  Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
2 Grated peel of one lemon (the microplane grater, do ya have it yet?)
1/4 cup loosely packed whole Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons good quality olive oil
4 lemon wedges

Season fish with salt and pepper. Rub both sides of fish with lemon rind. Press parsley leaves on to both sides of fish. I know it doesn't read well but the leaves will stick to the fish like postage stamps to envelopes. Okay that's a stretch but they'll hold in place long enough for you to get them in the pan when they'll really stick. Who cares if a few leaves fall about the pan? No one's photographing dinner.
Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. When hot but not smoking, add fish to pan and cook, turning once, until golden and fork tender, about two minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.

 

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