Grilled Marinated Swordfish Steaks

Swordfish, with its firm, lean flesh, is an ideal candidate for grilling. It's not as forgiving as some fatty fish, like tuna and black sea bass, so proceed with caution. If you remove the fish from the fire when the center is still slightly pink, by the time it gets to the table it should be cooked through. A quick marinade of soy sauce, red wine vinegar, rosemary, garlic, coriander and cumin pairs beautifully with the meatiness of the fish, but do not marinate for more than 10 to 15 minutes, or the acid will break down the flesh and leave it mushy (or the flavor will overpower the fish). If you don't have a grill, this works equally well in a broiler. Serve this alongside a colorful pile of Pierre Franey’s green bean and tomato salad. It's a meal you'll never forget.

(The Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood watch list provides up-to-date information on sustainable seafood options here.)

Why You Should Trust This Recipe

The celebrated French chef Pierre Franey first created this recipe in 1993, and it remains the most popular swordfish recipe on New York Times Cooking. After a career in noted fine-dining kitchens, he began writing The Times’s “60-Minute Gourmet” column in 1976, teaching home cooks how to simply and quickly prepare restaurant-quality dishes.