🐟 Grilled swordfish (pesce spada alla griglia)
Pesce spada alla griglia is grilled swordfish, a southern Italian favourite. Thick steaks are brushed with olive oil, cooked quickly over high heat and finished with lemon juice and capers, sometimes with chopped herbs. The fish is firm and meaty, almost like a steak, with a light char and a fresh, briny dressing. It is served hot with a salad or grilled vegetables.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 swordfish steaks, about 2 cm thick (600 g)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp capers, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Chopped parsley and oregano
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, capers, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Brush the steaks with a little of the dressing and leave for 10 minutes.
- Grill over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side, until just opaque in the centre.
- Spoon the remaining dressing over the hot fish and serve.
How to make it lighter
- Measure the oil: 1 tbsp olive oil ≈ 120 kcal, so a light brush is enough.
- Do not overcook — swordfish dries out fast and juicy fish needs less dressing.
- Serve with a big green salad or grilled vegetables for a filling, light meal.
History
Swordfish has long been fished in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria, and it is a staple of the cooking of both regions. Grilling it simply with olive oil and lemon is one of the most common ways it is eaten there today.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →