Sicilian Swordfish

Sicilian swordfish is the easy entertaining entrée you’ve been waiting for. Plus, it’s perfect for a date night in! We’re just going to say it: this is the best swordfish recipe you will ever make at home!

Here’s why we love it so much:

• The texture of the swordfish melts in your mouth! No overcooking here, simply irresistible, perfectly pan seared swordfish steaks.
• Sweet and salty! The olive relish combines salty, briny kalamata olives, castelvetrano olives, and drained capers with sweet golden raisins. It’s an amazingly balanced condiment that you can add to a variety of proteins (including eggplant, if you want to go meatless!).
• Restaurant worthy! You will be so impressed by both the flavors in this swordfish recipe, as well as the easy-to-execute instructions. Whether you’re a novice or professional home cook, you will have no problems making this at home!

Seriously, do not wait one minute more! This pan seared Sicilian swordfish is calling your name!

*This post was sponsored by Hestan Culinary. All opinions are my own. I only support and promote brands that I believe in and use in my own kitchen – I hope you’ll check them out! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Well Seasoned possible. 

Ingredients To Make Sicilian Swordfish At Home

• Swordfish steaks, about 1 ½ lbs 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

It’s so simple, you just need 5 minutes to pull this olive relish together! Simply combine everything in a mixing bowl, then drizzle on the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Give it a good toss, sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt, as needed, then taste and adjust seasoning.

Note that olives and capers are plenty salty on their own. The salt is really to help season the tomatoes. You can season these before adding to the bowl, if easier!

If you’re using older raisins that are dried out and tough, simply rehydrate them by placing in a small bowl, then covering with a bit of room temperature water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain. They’ll be juicy and plump yet again!

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.

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 Hestan’s Thomas Keller Insignia Sauté 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

I have been cooking with Hestan Culinary’s Thomas Keller Insignia line for months now, and this sauté pan is seriously a work horse. If I can convince you to purchase one new pan to take your at-home cooking to the next level, it’s got to be this high quality, stainless steel 11-inch sauté pan. If you want to make sure your proteins are cooked perfectly, this is the way to go!

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 proteins to room temperature before adding them to the pan.
4. Be patient! A proper sear takes time. The protein 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 protein has fully cooked, deglaze the pan with white wine or lemon juice to help release the browned bits.

Follow these steps with Hestan Culinary’s Thomas Keller Insignia sauté pan and see the difference for yourself!

How To Serve

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

We 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!

And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!

More seafood recipes to try!

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

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Sicilian Swordfish Recipe

Easy to make, pan seared swordfish steaks are topped with a perfectly salty, sweet olive relish. You'll have an impressive, healthy, restaurant-worthy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes, guaranteed. GF, DF

Prep10 mins

Cook15 mins

Total25 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: castelvetrano olives, kalamata olives, olive relish, pan seared swordfish, sicilian food

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Ari Laing

Equipment

Hestan Culinary's Thomas Keller Insignia Sauté Pan

Fish spatula or tongs

Mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the swordfish

• 4 (6 oz) swordfish steaks about 1 ½ lbs
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed, avocado, canola, or vegetable oil

For the olive relish

• ½ cup Castelvetrano olives pitted thinly sliced or roughly chopped
• ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
• 1 medium tomato chopped
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp capers drained
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts toasted
• 2 Tbsp golden raisins
• 2 Tbsp parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

• Season the swordfish. Season swordfish steaks on both sides with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
• Make the olive relish. Place ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, ½ cup Kalamata olives, 1 chopped tomato, 2 Tbsp capers, 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts, 2 Tbsp golden raisins, and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp EVOO, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, then season with remaining ½ tsp Kosher salt and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
• Cook the swordfish. Preheat Thomas Keller Insignia Sauté Pan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of neutral oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan). When the oil shimmers, carefully add the seasoned swordfish steaks then cook, undisturbed, for 5-6 minutes per side.
• Garnish, then serve. When the swordfish is fully cooked, squeeze 1 or 2 lemon wedges right on top, then spoon the olive relish over each steak. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, then serve immediately!

Notes

• Olive relish can be made 3 days in advance. We recommend waiting to add the chopped tomatoes until just before serving so they don’t get too mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1515mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

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