The title alone, “swordfish,” sounds strange enough for a fish. But, it is a fish structured like a sword on the front. We can agree it is one of the many odd creations that live in the sea. It is quite aggressive and intimidating for most people to make a delicacy. Now you may be asking, what does swordfish taste like?
Its strange characteristics and structure do not stop fish fanatics/lovers from making it a part of their recipes. Once you learn how to prepare, it is a luxurious aquatic treat that you will not want to pass on in the future.
What does Swordfish taste like?
Swordfish is a white-fleshed meaty textured fish with a mild sweet taste sold in steaks. The mild taste is suitable for people who don’t like the taste of fish. Its reddish parts are more substantial in flavor, but you can chop them off.
The best way to enjoy a recipe with swordfish is grilling, in particular, like a steak or kebab. Boiling and sautée recipes also make good recipes and don’t forget to trim the tough inedible skin before cooking.
For good quality of swordfish, it is mostly sold when frozen, but the red parts are supposed to remain red, not brownish, and you should make sure of that. You can use the swordfish to substitute tuna, halibut, Mahi-mahi, and salmon.
The swordfish’s structured, so that makes it stand out from the crowd with a long sword-like beak. It grows up to 15 feet, and it can weigh 1400 pounds. Now that we are sure it is indeed a type of fish, what does swordfish taste like?
Once swordfish is cooked, it is a slightly sweet fish. When raw, it is a pinkish-orange flesh that turns beige when cooked but is moist in texture. If the taste of regular fish puts you off, try the swordfish, and you might never have enough.
The Swordfish Flavor
Buy swordfish as steaks or whole minus the head. It is a lean moist cut mostly even in the cooking process unless it is overcooked. It can also be used when raw to make sushi in the U.S. swordfish mostly comes from the Pacific Ocean.
It is quite nutritious for every 100 grams. It contains 20 grams of protein and 121 calories only. Swordfish are pelagic, and their fillets contain 30% oil content, which is the opposite of common whitefish like catfish or walleye which have less oil in the liver. It is also high in selenium, niacin, and vitamin B12.
The meaty texture of swordfish makes it a good option, and it also distinguishes it from other fish, besides its mildly sweet taste. Since it is mostly served in steaks, you will need a knife to slice it into smaller pieces.
How to Choose the right Swordfish for any Recipe
Making the right (fresh) choice for any seafood might make or mess up your meal. An essential factor you need to keep an eye on is the vein running through the fish: If it is red, the meat is fresh, but a darker brown vein or black is an indicator of old or not-so-fresh fish.
The flesh should have a tan ivory color that is almost translucent, and those that have been frozen will have turned opaque. Red spots on the flesh indicate high-stress levels when the fish was caught, and you should avoid it because the texture will be unpleasant.
The steak’s color might vary depending on where the fish was caught: Those from the East Coast will be more reddish while those from the pacific will be more mute red. If you are very conscious about intake protein then use protein calculator regular to manage it in your diet.
How to Prepare Swordfish
Most fish are bony, but that is something not to worry about when it comes to swordfish. As mentioned earlier, it’s incredibly meaty and moist, making it a perfect ingredient for most cooking techniques or recipes. You can either pan-fry or grill swordfish. However, grilling is the most common method because of its meaty texture, similar to a steak.
You don’t need to garnish it a lot, but simple marination of about fifteen minutes will work well. You can also season it with black pepper and salt, then apply olive oil to both sides limitedly.
Grill each side for about eight minutes until they brown, and you can garnish it with lemon, coriander, and thin onion slices. As you serve, accompany it with a salsa recipe of your choice or a herb that you like.
Conclusion
Finally, the question, “what does swordfish taste like” is answered. You might discover new recipes and cooking methods once you become a regular chef of swordfish. You might also have other opinions about the flavor, but the most important is to enjoy the meal.
Swordfish has a unique structure, texture, and taste from other fish, making it stand out. It will give you an experience of marine flavor that might cost you a few bucks, but it is worthy it.