Cooking swordfish at home might sound daunting, but this recipe from Anissa Helou’s 2019 Beard Award–winning cookbook Feast proves that it couldn’t be easier. Inspired by Moroccan cuisine, these tender, warmly spiced brochettes (aka skewers) require minimal effort and yield mouthwatering results. Don’t worry about finding the marinade ingredients—everything is accessible at the grocery store, if not already in your kitchen. As for the fish, feel free to use another dense-fleshed option like monkfish or tuna if you can’t find good swordfish. Serve with bread and salad and you have a complete meal for a laidback summer gathering.
Helou begins by marinating the pre-cut fish in a fragrant mixture of parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, pepper flakes, and salt. She then transfers the bowl to the fridge for at least two hours to allow the fish to draw flavor, and to avoid it drying out later on. Next, she preps a grill (or preheats the broiler to high if a grill isn’t available)—Helou prefers a charcoal grill but any grill or broiler will do the trick. Lastly, she threads the marinated pieces of fish onto skewers and grills or broils them for just 2 to 3 minutes on each side. It’s a quick process, so make sure to watch carefully. Get the recipe.
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Phoebe Fry is the media intern at the Beard Foundation. Find her on Instagram.
