This recipe is inspired by how we used to grill fresh swordfish on Nantucket in the 90s — bold flavors, smoky grill char, and rich sauces that somehow worked perfectly with meaty swordfish steaks.
The swordfish needs to marinate for at least 45 minutes, but NOT overnight!
The key is not to overcook the swordfish; it should eat more like a juicy steak than flaky white fish.
I recommend serving with garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed fresh corn off the cob and/or a Caesar or Mediterranean Salad
Ingredients for the Swordfish & Marinade
- 1 large center-cut fresh swordfish steak, minimum of ½ lb per person
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
- 1 TBSP brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Fresh ground black pepper
Ingredients for the Horseradish Cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP prepared horseradish
- 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Small pinch salt
- Optional: a little lemon zest or chopped chives1 large center-cut fresh swordfish steak, minimum of ½ lb per person
Instructions
- Make the horseradish cream – mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavors improve as it sits.
- Marinate the swordfish – in a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the bourbon, soy sauce, olive oil, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper.
- Pour the marinade over the swordfish in a shallow dish or zip bag and marinate 45 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator, flipping once halfway through.
- Remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. Do not marinate overnight!
- Prep the grill – preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat, roughly 425–475 degrees.
- Set up the grill to have one hotter direct-heat zone and one cooler indirect-heat zone. Once the grill is heated, clean and oil grill grates well.
- Grill the lemons – lightly oil the cut sides of the lemons. Place lemons cut-side down over the hotter side of the grill and cook about 3–5 minutes until deeply caramelized with some charred spots then move aside
- Grill the swordfish – remove swordfish from marinade and pat mostly dry with paper towels. Lightly oil the fish.
- Place swordfish over direct heat and grill with lid open about 4–5 minutes first side and then about 4 minutes second side
- Do not move the fish too early or it may stick
- If the center is still very raw after both sides are seared, move the fish to the cooler side of the grill, close the lid, and cook another 2–4 minutes until the center reaches about 130–135 degrees. Very thick center-cut pieces may require a few additional minutes.
- Do not overcook. Swordfish should remain moist and slightly translucent in the center.
- Rest and Serve – rest swordfish 5–7 minutes before slicing. If the fish seems slightly underdone for your preference, loosely tent with foil while resting — the residual heat will continue cooking the center gently.
- Slice into thick serving portions and finish with a charred lemon squeezed over top or serve the lemon half’s on the side along with the horseradish cream sauce