Swordfish Au Poivre Food

SWORDFISH AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150 degrees. Have an oven-proof platter that can hold the fish in a single layer ready. Dust the swordfish lightly with salt. Sprinkle the pepper on both sides, pressing the grains into the fish.
• Heat the oil to medium hot in a heavy skillet, about 12-inches in diameter, to hold the fish in a single layer. Sear the fish, pepper and all, until barely cooked through and still a bit pink in the center, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the platter and place in the oven. Turn off the oven.
• Add the butter to the skillet. When it melts add the shallot and sauté, stirring, until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add the Cognac and swirl in the pan a minute or so until somewhat reduced and syrupy. Add the cream and parsley and continue cooking, stirring, until somewhat thickened. Remove from the heat.
• Remove the fish from the oven and pour the sauce over it, then serve, or transfer each portion to individual dinner plates, spoon on the sauce and serve.

STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Pat steaks dry and season both sides with kosher salt.
• Coarsely crush peppercorns in a sealed plastic bag with a meat pounder or bottom of a heavy skillet, then press pepper evenly onto both sides of steaks.
• Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot, about 3 minutes, then add oil, swirling skillet, and sauté steaks in 2 batches, turning over once, about 6 minutes per batch for medium-rare.
• Transfer steaks as cooked to a heatproof platter and keep warm in oven while making sauce.
• Pour off fat from skillet, then add shallots and half of butter (2 tablespoons) to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until shallots are well-browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add Cognac (use caution; it may ignite) and boil, stirring, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and any meat juices accumulated on platter and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until butter is incorporated. Serve sauce with steaks.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED SWORDFISH

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cut a slit in steak to create a pocket that is open on one side only. In a cup, mix together 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice; brush over both sides of fish. Set aside.
• In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook spinach in oil until wilted. Remove from heat, and stuff into pocket. Place feta in pocket over spinach.
• Arrange fish on grill, and cook for 8 minutes. Turn over, and continue cooking until cooked through.

FRENCH PEPPER STEAK (STEAK AU POIVRE)

Steps:

• Press pepper into both sides of steaks. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over high heat; add steak and sear on both sides. Reduce heat to medium high and cook an additional 6 to 7 minutes on each side, more for well done.
• Remove steak to serving platter and keep warm. Season lightly with salt to taste.
• Add brandy to pan with drippings and heat until bubbly; add a small amount of cream. Pour sauce over steaks; garnish with parsley.

SWORDFISH SPIEDINI - GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat or preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk the oil, herbes de province, salt and pepper to blend.
• Add the swordfish cubes and toss to coat.
• Thread the swordfish cubes alternately with 1 slice of pancetta onto each of the skewers, wrapping the pancetta around the fish cubes as you go.
• Grill the skewers until the swordfish is just opaque in the center and the pancetta is crisp, about 8 minutes, turning and brushing often with the remaining marinade.

SALMON AU POIVRE (OR: THE DISAPPEARING FISH TRICK)

Steps:

• drop one and only one piece of fish in a tupperware box that would just barely fit both pieces of salmon if you stacked them. (this is foreshadowing.).
• pour two capfuls of soysauce (2 T or so) on top of fish. peel garlic, and mash the hell out if it. smear on top of fish like you're polishing brass. pour one capful (1 T or so) of rice vinegar or lemon juice on top of fish. put two teaspoons of sugar on top of fish, smear around like you're trying to cleanse the fish of its sins.
• put other piece of fish on top of the first piece of fish, so you've made a raw-fish-and-marinade sandwich, and seal box. shake a few times, stick in refrigerator. go do something else for twenty-five minutes.
• come back twenty-five minutes later, heat skillet on just less than high. add one swirl around the pan of olive oil. while oil heats, pull the fish out of the box, and gently wipe excess marinade and pat dry. cover both sides of your fish with pepper--about a teaspoon on each side, enough that the flesh is covered.
• put fish in pan when the oil is almost ready to smoke. flip after two minutes, wait two minutes, remove from pan and place on papertowel. (the fish is done when it feels slightly firm to the touch, and is just barely opaque on the inside. if it's not done at this point, stick it in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time.) wait a minute or so for the heat to move completely through the fish.
• served with a mache (lamb's lettuce, or feldsalat) salad with a hollandaise-ish dressing, some crusty bread, and a couple bottles of beer.

SWORDFISH AU POIVRE RECIPE - (1/5)

Steps:

• Seafood Alternatives: tuna Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. With a mortar and pestle, crack the peppercorns until they are a coarsely and finely cracked mixture. Evenly coat both sides of the swordfish steaks with the crushed peppercorns. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the fish and immediately reduce the heat to medium. Season to taste with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side until the center of the fish is just opaque, 4 to 5 minutes longer. This recipe yields 2 servings. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, pour the peppercorns into a plastic bag, then slip the plastic bag into a paper bag. Place the bag on a hard surface and use a heavy skillet, a sturdy rolling pin or a heavy can to crush the peppercorns.