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Grilled Swordfish & Red Onions with Pickled Grape & Almond Sauce

This recipe includes a simple approach to swordfish, grilled the same way my father always cooked it when I was growing up. Pickled grapes and peeled almonds are blended together with olive oil and some stale breadcrumbs to create a sauce reminiscent of white gazpacho.

Ingredients

For the Pickled Grape & Almond Sauce:

  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 30 green seedless grapes
  • ½ cup white breadcrumbs (made from stale bread)
  • ½ cup peeled almonds
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

For the Grilled Swordfish & Red Onions:

  • 4 6oz swordfish fillets
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 medium-sized red onions (cut into 1/8” slices)
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt (to taste)

Instructions 

For the Pickled Grape & Almond Sauce:

  • The day before you make the sauce, combine the 1 cup white wine vinegar, 1 cup water, and 2/3 cup white granulated sugar in a small pot on the stove and bring to a simmer.
  • Pour pickling liquid over the green seedless grapes and refrigerate.
  • When you are ready to make the sauce, remove the pickled grapes from the liquid.
  • Combine ¼ cup of the pickling liquid with ½ cup of the white breadcrumbs and allow to sit for 5 minutes while the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid.
  • Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend the white breadcrumbs with the pickled grapes, peeled almonds, olive oil, black pepper, and kosher salt to taste.
  • Taste and adjust sauce for salt level.
  • Set sauce aside for when you are ready to use.

For the Grilled Swordfish & Red Onions:

  • Preheat grill to 500F. Add metal grill box for cooking onions to grill, if you have one. If not, just cook the onions on the stove.
  • Lightly salt the exterior of each swordfish fillet.
  • Coat the exterior of each swordfish fillet with a coating of mayonnaise.
  • Coat the sliced red onions in a thin layer of vegetable oil.
  • Grill the red onions in the grill box on the grill, or alternatively you can cook them on the stove.
  • Grill the swordfish until the flesh is just barely cooked through. You will notice that they mayo basically drips off during the cooking process—this is normal.
  • Try to avoid overcooking your swordfish.
  • Serve the grilled swordfish, red onions, and pickled grape & almond sauce with a green vegetable like asparagus, broccoli, or green beans.

Notes

While you can absolutely eat any leftover swordfish the next day, it is arguably best eaten right as it comes off the grill. If you are looking to use leftover grilled swordfish, break it into small bite-sized chunks and sprinkle the swordfish over a nice green salad with vegetables for lunch.