Blackened Swordfish with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce... a Taste of Ft. Myers

Tonight is a Taste of Ft. Myers; a coastal city located on the west coast of Florida. We’re taking a fresh swordfish steak, adding salt & pepper, and marinating it in extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. We’ll season it with a homemade blackening seasoning made from paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. We’ll bake it in the oven and top it off with a sauce made from the marinade, capers, and butter. This steak from the sea with be served with sauteed spinach and black lentils.

And why are we making this dish tonight? Well this week we were in Ft. Myers Florida. Ft. Myers was the winter home of two notorious American inventors, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. Their homes are still here today and visited by many tourists each year. Ft. Myers also has a rejuvenated downtown area only one block from the Caloosahatchee River, and with the abundance of fishing at the nearby marinas, the local restaurants have plenty of fresh fish and seafood. This week we went to two Ft. Myers hot spots; Oxbow located right on the river, and Izzies, located in the heart of downtown. Swordfish the first night and grouper on the second; both were good; but we had to choose one, so we’re going with the swordfish, which brings us to our dish tonight.

Our Mise EN Place is

The Fish
1 Fresh Swordfish Steak

The Marinade
A Few Tablespoons of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Oz of Natalie’s Lemon Juice
2 Cloves of Chopped Garlic
2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
¼ Yellow Onion Chopped

The Blackened Seasoning
¼ Teaspoon Each of Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Ground Oregano, and Ground Thyme
2 Tablespoons of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Pieces of President Brand Unsalted Butter
Salt & Pepper

The Lentils
1 Cup of Black Lentils
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Pieces of Butter
½ Cup of Diced Carrots
½ Cup of Diced Yellow Onion
2 Cloves of Chopped Garlic
¼ Teaspoon Each of Coriander, Cumin, Tumeric, & Black Pepper
2 Cups of Chicken Stock

The Spinach
1 Small Bag of Fresh Spinach
1 Oz of Natalie’s Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons of Colavita Olive Oil
1 Chopped Clove of Garlic
Salt & Pepper f
½ Cup of Chicken Stock

For The Sauce
We’ll use the onion, garlic and herbs from the marinade along with
2 Teaspoons of Capers
1 Oz of Natalie’s Lemon Juice
½ Cup of Chicken Stock

Our first step is to marinate the swordfish. In a bowl, combine a few tablespoons of olive oil, an ounce of lemon juice, two chopped cloves of garlic, some chopped onion, the rosemary and thyme. Add the swordfish steak to the bowl and coat it on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and place the swordfish onto a plate. Place the bowl of marinade aside; we’ll use it later. Add salt & pepper, and the blackening seasoning. In a large pan, add olive oil and butter and turn the heat to medium high. Add the swordfish and cook three minutes per side. Place the swordfish into aluminum foil, cover, and put into a 170-degree oven to keep warm.

For the lentils, place a few pieces of butter and a few tablespoons of olive oil into a medium sized pot, bring the heat up to medium. Add the onions and carrots, and cook them for four minutes. Add a teaspoon of the chopped garlic and cook it for one minute. Add the lentils into the pot and stir them into the butter and oil thoroughly. Add the seasoning and stir it in well too. Add in the two cups of chicken stock, stir everything together well, and bring to a simmer. Cover and let the lentils cook for 10 minutes (or according to the package directions).

For the spinach, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a small pot and medium low heat, add the garlic and cook for one minute. Place the spinach into the pot, add the chicken stock, stir, and cook the spinach for a few minutes on low heat. Cover when done.

For the sauce, add the bowl of marinade to the pan and turn the heat up to medium high. Deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon, and cook the marinated bits for about four minutes. Add in the capers and cook for another two minutes. Add the lemon juice and the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. When the sauce has reduced by half, turn the heat off, add a piece of cold butter, and stir it in.

And now it’s time to plate our dish! And there it is! A Taste of Ft. Myers! Blackened Swordfish with a lemon caper butter sauce. Marinated, pan seared and baked in the oven. Served with seasoned black lentils and fresh spinach. Swordfish is the steak of the sea.

It was delicious!

Until next time,
Bon Appetit.
Ciao,
Mark

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