Name: Garlic Chili Swordfish with Grilled Papaya & Pineapple
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed; 2 Fresno chiles, seeds removed if desired; 1 garlic bulb, cut in half lengthways; 2 small shallots, peeled; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; Salt; ¼ cup (or more) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1½ teaspoons honey

Garlic Chili Swordfish with Grilled Pineapple and Papaya is a dish that is full of flavor. The garlic chili sauce can be made from scratch using fresh ingredients, or you can use store bought products for convenience! This recipe includes step by step instructions on how to make garlic chili sauce as well as the swordfish.

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Can you make fresh garlic chili sauce?

You can grab a store bought version of this sauce in most supermarkets and food stores. But if you find it either too hot or maybe not hot enough, you can make it from scratch to get it just right.

You’ll need:

1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
2 Fresno chiles, seeds removed if desired
1 garlic bulb, cut in half lengthways
2 small shallots, peeled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
¼ cup (or more) unseasoned rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons honey

Preheat the oven to 425F then toss the peppers, chilis, garlic and shallots in oil and spread on a baking sheet. Add salt and garlic, placing the cut side downwards.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the peppers are soft and blistered then leave to cool.

Squeeze the garlic out of their skins into a food processor and add the other ingredients with vinegar and honey. Blend until smooth and add more salt or vinegar depending on your preference.

What you need to make Garlic Chili Swordfish

½ c. orange juice
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. honey
1-2 T. garlic-chili sauce (store bought or fresh)
1 t. garlic powder
2 T. fresh lime juice
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
½ medium pineapple, trimmed and cut into spears
½ medium papaya, trimmed, seeded, and cut into spears
2 6-oz. swordfish fillets
1 T. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Kitchen equipment

Whisk
Medium glass bowl
Small glass bowl (2)
Grill pan
Pastry brush

How to make the recipe

Prepare the sauce by whisking the orange juice, olive oil, honey, garlic-chili sauce, garlic powder, and lime juice together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Divide the sauce into two small bowls and set aside.

Spray a large grill pan with non-stick cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil. Set over medium-high heat and add the pineapple and papaya spears. Generously season the swordfish fillets with salt and black pepper and add to the hot grill pan.

Brush the garlic-chili sauce from one of the bowls over the fillets and fruit and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the fillets release easily from the bottom of the pan.

Turn the fish and fruit and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or just until the swordfish is cooked through. Do not overcook. Continue brushing the fillets and fruit with the marinade throughout the cook time.

Remove from heat and divide the swordfish and grilled fruit between individual serving plates. Garnish with the fresh cilantro right before serving and offer the remaining chili-garlic sauce on the side.

Storing the recipe

Swordfish is a great fish to have in your repertoire of foods for quick and easy meals. Swordfish should never be left unattended as it will deteriorate quickly if not properly stored, which brings us back to the refrigerator!

Make sure that you do all sorts of things before storing swordfishes like removing any plastic or packaging material from them first by rinsing with cold water then patting dry with paper towels. You can also place it on a cake rack inside shallow pan filled up with crushed ice so they don’t sit in their own juices and cover it nicely using either cling wrap or aluminum foil.

You can freeze swordfish and it will keep for two months in your refrigerator. Wrap the fish tightly with freezer paper, making sure to use at least two layers of protection before you wrap up this tasty treat! For faster thawing, place wrapped pieces in a sink filled with cold running water – allowing about 1/2 hour per pound (454 grams).

Recipe tips

For best results, prepare the sauce in advance to allow the flavors to fully develop and use a firm papaya that is not overly ripe for this application.

Yield: 2 portions