Disclaimer: swordfish contains high mercury content, and shouldn’t be consumed for expecting mothers or young children.
As a meal, swordfish are the perfect combination between fish and a meaty steak. Unlike some fish, swordfish is the ideal in-between flavor of fishy and non-fishy taste, making it a perfect selection for those beginning to expand their palette with fish and seafood. What makes swordfish unique is that it is sold by steaks and carries a meaty-like texture to it, rather than a flaky consistency such as snapper or grouper. Swordfish are cooked exactly like steaks, so they are grilled to your preferred temperature.
When preparing a swordfish, I usually steak out the entire fish. The swordfish is generally larger than many of our other species and we use a different knife. Bubba Blade makes a couple of knives that we really like for these large fish. The 9 inch stiff or the 12 inch flex are both excellent tools for preparing a large swordfish. A sharp knife like the 6 inch Bubba Blade is great for trimming and leaving a clean and symmetrical fillet.
To bring out the flavor of swordfish, take the steaks and rub salt and pepper, olive oil, and some lemon juice (if desired) and place them on the grill. To bring some sweetness, top steaks with a mango chutney. To add some extra flavor, you can add fennel seeds, garlic or chili powder as dry rubs. For a wet marinade, place the steaks in a bag, add teriyaki sauce, and leave in the refrigerator to marinate for 3-4 hours before putting them on the grill. Once cooked, swordfish steaks are usually good for about 4 days, but can be stored in the freezer for up to four months when raw if you have done a good job of sealing it before freezing. Check out how I can vacuum seal with nothing but a ziplock and a bucket by clicking here.
See you next time on Into The Blue
Capt. Scott Walker & Capt. Steve Rodger
S12:E10 - “Great Bait! I’m Hooked” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger break down the best-kept secret bait spots in the Keys.
S12:E9 - “Hawks Cay Wrecks” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger explore the fertile waters around Hawk's Cay
S12:E8 - “Tuna Time” (2020)
Capts Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger go out in search of Big Tuna!
S12:E7 - “Sails And Cudas” (2020)
Sailfish is what they are after, but Capt Scott and Capt Steve run across some aggressive Barracudas
S12:E6 - “Key West Bottom Fishing” (2020)
Scott and Steve get on some productive spots near Key West for good eating bottom fish.
S12:E5 - “Marquesas Sharks” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger adventure to the Marquesas for some exciting Shark action.
S12:E4 - “Key West Muttons And Sails” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger get on a productive mutton spot near Key West.
S12:E3 - “Key West - Box Full Of Silver” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger head West & fish for Kingfish.
S12:E2 - “Gulf Wreck Permit Part 2” (2020)
Capts Scott Walker & Steve Rodger continue their search for Permit on wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico.
S12:E1 - “Gulf Wreck Permit Part 1” (2020)
Capt Scott Walker and Capt Steve Rodger search for Permit on wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico.
With parties during the holidays, the best appetizer you can do is a smoked fish dip. We love this Smoked Kingfish dip. We will cut it up into large chunks about the size of your hand so that they cook evenly and you smoke them skin down. Personally I like to marinate mine with lots of spice, pepper and teriyaki and brown sugar.
I like to take an average like 20 pound tuna and cut the loin into thirds. Then you have to get all the red meat off of it, which you do anyway to eat it. I like to get them about 4 inches long and about 2 stacks of that will fill a jar. I like them to be about a celery stalk.
As Thanksgiving quickly approaches so do the first few cold fronts of the year. With these cold fronts comes a migration of mullet, ballyhoo and pilchards that stirs up the pelagic species like Wahoo, Sailfish and Kingfish. The timing couldn’t be better because a few Kingfish in the Yeti can make for a Thanksgiving side dish or appetizer that your guests will love.
Here is my favorite recipe for smoked Kingfish spread and the one I will use for the big meal but also for several football games. I know it is good because there have never been any leftovers.
As a meal, swordfish are the perfect combination between fish and a meaty steak. Unlike some fish, swordfish is the ideal in-between flavor of fishy and non-fishy taste, making it a perfect selection for those beginning to expand their palette with fish and seafood. What makes swordfish unique is that it is sold by steaks and carries a meaty-like texture to it, rather than a flaky consistency such as tilapia or grouper. Swordfish are cooked exactly like steaks, so they are grilled to your preferred temperature.
We cut a lot of fish. Some for eating and some for bait. In the picture at the top we are cutting a bonito into chunks by cutting in a checkerboard pattern then cutting all of those off the carcass. We will use these chunks for chumming and for baiting our hooks for a host of different species and applications.
Each fish has a way that it is best filleted or cleaned for eating. One thing that is in common with each of these is that you will need a very sharp fillet knife. As you get more involved, you can move from one knife to several which are slightly more specialized for each task. Here are some examples:
Once the fish is done you can just pull the meat off the bones and start building your tacos. Add some lime juice and bring the pulled meat back to the grill while you wait on the corn to finish. Once this is all done, you can add your street corn sauce, and build your tacos with your preferred toppings.