blackened swordfish
with polenta "hushpuppies" and roasted tomatoes
During my few years living in West Virginia when I was a teenager, good seafood was hard to come by. You can imagine my family’s delight when we discovered a market-style restaurant in the heart of the state’s capital, Charleston, where one of the specialties was blackened swordfish steak with golden fried hushpuppies and honey butter. My rendition is easier and healthier, since the polenta is ready-made and the “hushpuppies” are baked, not fried, and topped with juicy burst tomatoes.
ingredients
4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks, 1 to 1½ inches thick
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1½ tablespoons honey
1 (18-ounce) log precooked polenta, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
¾ pound cherry tomatoes on the vine or 1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons blackened seasoning (Chef Paul Prudhomme’s is my fave, or try Zatarain’s)
¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
steps
Heat the oven to 450ºF. Let the fish stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes to take the chill off.
In a small bowl, stir together the butter and honey until smooth.
Put the polenta on a baking sheet and gently toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Arrange the polenta in a single layer on one side of the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the butter mixture. Roast for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Arrange the tomatoes on the empty side, return the pan to the oven, and roast until the polenta is lightly golden and the tomatoes are golden and beginning to burst, 16 to 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with paper towels, then sprinkle all over with the blackened seasoning and a generous pinch of salt.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Place the swordfish in the pan and cook, without disturbing it, until the underside is golden, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish and cook until opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Arrange the fish, polenta hushpuppies, and burst tomatoes on serving plates. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.
