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Oil-Poached Swordfish with White Corn, Guanciale and Chive Oil

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Oil-Poached Swordfish with White Corn, Guanciale and Chive OilElinor Carucci

Cooking the fish in olive oil makes it amazingly moist.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    50 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Chive oil:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Swordfish and corn:

5 medium ears of white corn, husked
4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 peeled garlic cloves; 2 crushed, 2 minced
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
4 6-ounce swordfish steaks
1 cup 1/3-inch cubes guanciale or pancetta (Italian bacon)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Fine sea salt
Ingredient info: Guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) is available at specialty foods stores and from zingermans.com. Pancetta (Italian bacon) makes a good substitute.

Preparation

  1. For chive oil:

    Step 1

    Combine oil and chives in blender and puree until smooth. Season chive oil to taste with salt and pepper.

  2. For swordfish and corn:

    Step 2

    Cook corn in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, remove corn from cooking liquid. Place on plate; reserve 1/2 cup corn cooking liquid. Cut corn kernels from cobs and reserve 4 cups (save remaining corn for another use).

    Step 3

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oil, lemon, crushed garlic, and rosemary in medium ovenproof pot. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pot; heat oil to 150°F. Carefully lower swordfish into oil. Transfer pot to oven; poach fish uncovered until just firm to touch, about 15 minutes.

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add guanciale; sauté until almost crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and shallot; sauté until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved 4 cups corn and crushed red pepper. Add butter and 2 tablespoons reserved corn cooking liquid; stir until mixture is moist and creamy, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in chives and thyme. Season with sea salt and pepper.

    Step 5

    Divide corn among 4 shallow bowls. Top each with swordfish steak. Sprinkle with sea salt; drizzle with chive oil.

  3. What to drink:

    Step 6

    An aromatic, medium-bodied white—like the Alois Lageder 2009 "Vogelmaier" Moscato Giallo (Italy, $29)— would be perfect.

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