Sicilian Swordfish with Olives, Tomatoes, Raisins

Pan-Seared Swordfish with Quick & Easy Olive Relish

Sicilian swordfish is the easy entertaining entrée you’ve been waiting for. It features pan-seared swordfish steaks that have been seasoned simply with kosher salt and black pepper. What really sets it apart (besides being so quick!) is that homemade olive relish, a delightful combination of juicy tomatoes, briny olives, sweet raisins, capers, pine nuts, and a quick dressing.

Why I Love This Recipe

• Texture: This pan-seared swordfish is melt-in-your-mouth tender—no overcooking here!
• The sweet and salty olive relish, made with briny olives, capers, and golden raisins, adds the perfect balance of flavors.
• Date night at home! It’s a restaurant-worthy dish that’s surprisingly easy to make, whether you’re a beginner or a pro in the kitchen!

For more of my favorite swordfish recipes try these grilled swordfish and fresh lemon skewers, baked swordfish fillets with fresh corn and tomatoes, or juicy pan-seared swordfish with lemon caper sauce next! Or check out all of my restaurant-worthy seafood recipes.

Ingredients To Make Sicilian Swordfish At Home

• Swordfish steaks, about 1½ lb total.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: to season the fish!
• Neutral oil for cooking

To make the olive relish, you’ll need:

• Castelvetrano olives and Kalamata olives, pitted and thinly sliced or roughly chopped (your preference!).
• A large tomato — we always reach for heirloom varieties, as we love their intense tomato flavor.
• Drained capers, which add additional brininess that works so well with the remaining relish ingredients.
• Toasted pine nuts, for some added nuttiness and crunch.
• Golden raisins, for sweetness.
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped.

The “dressing” is made from extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Make The Sweet And Salty Olive Relish

This olive relish comes together in just 5 minutes! Simply mix everything in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar, toss well, and season lightly with salt if needed—mainly for the tomatoes, since olives and capers are already salty.

If your raisins are a bit dry, soak them in water for 10 minutes to plump them back up before adding them in.

How Far In Advance Can You Make The Olive Relish?

This will keep for up to 3 days in a fridge, however, the tomatoes will be best on the first day. You can always combine everything else ahead of time, then stir in the chopped tomatoes just before serving.

For all my olive lovers out there, you may also like this Moroccan braised chicken with green olives or this pan-seared salmon escabeche with olives. Both are outstanding and bursting with flavor!

How To Cook Swordfish Steaks

1. Make sure to season the swordfish steaks really well with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
2. Next, heat the pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes. When it’s hot, add a couple tablespoons of a neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola, avocado, or vegetable oil. You want just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.
3. Carefully add the seasoned swordfish steaks to the hot pan, the cook, undisturbed, for 5-6 minutes per side. Once finished, squeeze half a lemon on top, right over the cooked fish.
4. Spoon the olive relish on top, then serve immediately with additional lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnish. We love to sprinkle with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt, as well.

It’s juicy, tender, and so unbelievably full of flavor!

Do you remove the swordfish skin? No, we leave it on as the fish cooks. While swordfish skin is thick and rubbery, it’s easier to remove afterwards. The skin simply peels away from the flesh of the swordfish. You can then discard and throw away.

Tips For Cooking With Stainless Steel

Some of our best tips for cooking with stainless steel (which, by the way, is the most commonly used cookware in professional kitchens!):

1. The pan must be preheated before you add any food to the pan!
2. You need to use an appropriate amount of oil, enough to coat the entirety of the bottom of the pan. You’ll know the oil is hot enough when it begins to shimmer.
3. It is helpful to bring the seafood (or other meat) to room temperature before adding them to the pan.
4. Be patient! A proper sear takes time. The seafood should move freely in the pan when shaken lightly. That’s when you know it’s ready to flip, when it releases easily, without any hesitation.
5. Browned bits at the bottom? That’s a pro, not a con! Stainless steel is the best choice for cooking when making a pan sauce! Plus, it will result in a clean pan afterwards. How to best make a pan sauce? Once the seafood has fully cooked, deglaze the pan with white wine or lemon juice to help release the browned bits.

How To Serve

Now that you’ve mastered cooking pan seared swordfish, what do you serve it with?

I love a simple couscous salad (the lemon flavor matches the acidity in this recipe, so they’re a perfect pairing!).

For easy side dishes, consider serving with: white rice, creamy polenta, or Sicilian cauliflower. But the easiest side dish of all is our arugula salad. It’s the perfect, gluten-free base for this swordfish to rest upon!

If there’s one new seafood recipe you try this year from Well Seasoned, let it be this one. You will be so impressed by the depth of flavor! Go ahead and tell your dinner guests that you came up with it all yourself. I won’t spoil the secret.

If you make this Sicilian Swordfish recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!

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More seafood recipes to try!

• Pan Seared Scallops
• Butter Poached Cod
• Salmon en Papillote
• Grilled Halibut with Charred Scallion Sauce
• Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice