Swordfish with Ancho Pepper Romesco Sauce
First, we’d like to clear up one thing about Romesco Sauce. Despite the name, this sauce? Is not a product of Rome. The Spanish city of Tarragona, located on the northeastern coastline about an hour south of Barcelona, is credited as Romesco Sauce’s home town. Romesco was celebrated as a regional specialty early in the 20th century, and rudimentary outlines of Romesco recipes have been found in cookbooks from the 19th century.
Romesco Sauce is not difficult to make. It is a classic example of simple and well-chosen ingredients, done right. We decided to pair our Romesco Sauce with swordfish and make them into small, tapas-like bites. Browning the sides of the fish at high heat adds textural snap and an extra dash of umami flavor, and it only takes a few minutes; any longer than two minutes per side is too long, especially since the cubes of fish are fairly small. Serve these tapas nestled into a bed of Romesco Sauce, with an extra squeeze of lemon at the end. Enjoy them as is, or sit the swordfish on a toasty crostini with a big dollop of Romesco Sauce on top.
1 pound swordfish steak
Juice from one lemon
6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt, divided
1 teaspoon Pennsylvania Pepper
3 whole Ancho Chiles
8 ripe plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 small yellow onion, cut in half
1/4 cup cashews
1 ounce (roughly one thick slice) bread, with crusts removed
2 teaspoons Smoked Sweet Paprika
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1. Cut swordfish into 2-inch cubes. Marinate them in lemon juice, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, and Pennsylvania Pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
2. Rehydrate Ancho Chiles for 20 minutes in hot water, then drain, de-seed, and set aside.
3. Roast plum tomatoes, red bell pepper, and onion in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until slightly charred. Turn occasionally to ensure even charring. When the vegetables have cooled slightly, peel the skins off and de-seed the tomatoes.
4. Toast cashews in a medium-hot pan until slightly golden brown.
5. Tear bread into small, workable pieces and put in a food processor. Pulse a few times to make bread crumbs. Combine vegetables, cashews, Ancho Chiles, La Vera Smoked Sweet Paprika, sherry vinegar, and remaining teaspoon Fine Sea Salt with bread crumbs in a food processor and puree. Slowly drizzle in the other 3 Tablespoons of olive oil and puree until smooth but thick.
6. Remove swordfish cubes from marinade and dry them slightly. Brown the swordfish over medium-high heat, letting each side cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Spoon 2 Tablespoons Romesco Sauce onto a plate. Nestle in 3 swordfish cubes per serving; garnish with lemon wedges or fresh parsley.
