Swordfish Escabeche ►
Marinated in lime juice, fresh swordfish is cubed, seared, and served with a spicy red wine sauce. The sauce combines cinnamon, cumin, allspice, clove, bay leaf, and oregano, an unusual but delicious combination. Both the oregano and garlic used in this dish are toasted before they are added. Watch the oregano as it toasts and remove it as soon as the aroma becomes noticeable; it will burn very quickly.
Ingredients
- Swordfish Steaks - 2, fresh, about 8 ounces each
- Lime Juice - 1/4 cup fresh
- Water - 1-1/4 cups
- Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Mexican Oregano - 3/4 teaspoon, toasted
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Allspice - 2 whole
- Black Peppercorns - 1/3 teaspoon
- Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
- Clove - 1
- Cinnamon Stick - 1
- Garlic Clove - 1, peeled and toasted
- Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
- Red Wine Vinegar - 3/4 cup
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Sweet Onion - 1/2, sliced into thin rings
- Red Chilies - 1 to 2, sliced into thin rings
Instructions
Marinate the swordfish in lime juice, water, and salt for 1 hour. Put the oregano, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns, cumin, clove, salt, coriander, cinnamon, and sugar in a grinder or mortar. Grind thoroughly, then add the toasted garlic. Put the mixture in a saute pan. Add 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of the red wine vinegar, and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the swordfish from the marinade, pat dry, and remove the skin. Cut into cubes. Heat another saute pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Put the swordfish cubes in the pan and saute on all sides until the fish has a light golden crust. Set the cubes aside on 2 serving dishes and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour the oil from the pan and add the remaining red wine vinegar, stirring up the glaze from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.
To serve: Spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with sweet onion rings and red chilies. The fish is served at room temperature.
