Sunday, September 03, 2006
Griddled Swordfish with Cheesy Polenta
I went a bit over the top with the shopping yesterday. Basically, I went from Meath Street to
the market, on to Fallon & Byrne, then to Liston's before returning home. As a result I had way too much food and was once again playing catch-up in preparing it all. Today was a mild and pleasant day, almost Mediterranean in climate, so I decided to go for a light Mediterranean dinner of griddled swordfish on cheesy polenta with garlic butter and tomatoey barlotti beans. I know it sounds terribly complicated, but believe me, it is another one of those Italian dinners that sound and taste great, but aren't half as difficult to make as we may think.For the fish:
1 large or 2 small sword fish steaks
3 to 4 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
3 to 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tbsp butter
For the beans:
3 to 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
5 spring onions (including greens), chopped
12 to 16 sweet cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tin (350g) of barlotti beans (butter or kidney beans would work too), drained and rinsed
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1½ tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
For the polenta:
250ml water
100g polenta
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
75g cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
First prepare the marinade for the fish. In a large shallow dish, mix the oregano with the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you think more lemon juice is needed, feel free to add it. Place the fish in the dish and cover generously with the marinade. Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a start on beans. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and onion and gently fry for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and have released most of their liquid. Add the tomatoes and stew until you have a soft, but slightly lumpy sauce. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
For the polenta, bring the water to the boil. Stir in the polenta, garlic and a pinch of salt. Keep stirring until the polenta begins to thicken then remove from the heat.
At the same time, make a start on the fish. Heat a heavy griddle over medium to medium high heat. If you are using a cast iron pan, you may need to add a bit of oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Remove the fish from the marinade and drain well. Reserve the marinade. When the pan is hot, add the fillet(s) and griddle for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Just before you are ready to serve, toss the drained beans with the tomatoes and add the chopped herbs. Return to the hob to heat through and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Stir the grated cheese into the polenta and continue stirring until it is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the beans and polenta on two plates.
Remove the fish from the pan and place on top of the polenta. Rest in a warm place while you are finishing off the butter sauce. Pour the marinade into the hot pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the garlic has softened, about a minute. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir to mix with the pan juices, then pour the melted butter over the fish and serve at once.
Christine at 10:26 pm
