Seared Swordfish with Caponata, Sungolds, and Purple Sweet Potato Mash

Pan-Seared Swordfish

A quick sear gives swordfish a little crust while keeping the interior moist. Spoon the caponata over it only at serving so the fish retains its browned surface.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb swordfish, cut into 4 steaks about 1 inch thick, skin removed
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 0.5 lemon

Instructions

1. Pat the swordfish thoroughly dry and season with salt and pepper just before cooking.
2. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ghee, then the fish in a single layer without crowding.
3. Sear undisturbed for 3–4 minutes, until lightly golden and releasing readily. Turn, reduce the heat to medium, and cook another 3–5 minutes, adjusting for thickness, until the center reaches 145°F.
4. Transfer to a warm plate and rest for 3 minutes. Finish with a light squeeze of lemon; leave most of the acidity to the caponata.

Notes

• Keep the steaks whole for cooking, then separate into a few broad pieces for plating if desired.

Eggplant Caponata with Pine Nuts and Herbs

Roasting concentrates the eggplant without making it greasy. Vinegar, capers, and a little honey create a sweet-sour glaze that cuts through both the fish and the rich mash.

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb globe or Italian eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.25 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 0.25 cup water, plus more as needed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 0.25 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• to taste freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned and completely tender inside.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat for 2–4 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl as soon as golden.
3. Warm the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sweat for 8–10 minutes until soft without deeply browning.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1–2 minutes. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, honey, and water. Simmer gently for 3 minutes.
5. Fold in the roasted eggplant and simmer for 3–5 minutes, adding a splash of water if necessary. The mixture should be chunky and glossy, not soupy.
6. Let stand off heat for at least 10 minutes. Fold in the pine nuts and most of the parsley, reserving a little parsley for plating. Taste for salt, pepper, and acidity.

Notes

• Serve warm rather than piping hot so the sweet-sour balance is clear.
• If sharply acidic, add another 1/2 teaspoon honey; if flat, add vinegar a teaspoon at a time.

Warm Blistered Sungolds

A short roast softens the tomato skins while leaving juicy centers intact. Keeping them separate from the caponata preserves their bright color and fresh sweetness.

Ingredients

• 1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.25 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and salt in a small baking dish.
2. Roast at 425°F for 8–12 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and a few tomatoes split but most retain their shape.
3. Keep warm with their juices. Halve a few just before serving for a mix of whole and cut tomatoes.

Mashed Purple Sweet Potato

Steaming preserves the potatoes' vivid color and keeps them from becoming waterlogged. Butter and hot cooking water soften their naturally dense texture into a smooth, spoonable mash.

Ingredients

• 2 lb purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 0.5–0.75 cup hot water from the steamer pot, as needed
• 0.75 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Set a steamer basket over simmering water. Add the sweet potatoes, cover, and steam for 25–30 minutes, until a knife passes through with no resistance.
2. Pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or mash thoroughly. Stir in the butter and salt.
3. Beat in hot water a little at a time until smooth enough to spread with the back of a spoon but still able to hold a broad swoop.
4. Taste for salt and keep covered over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Loosen with another splash of hot water before serving if needed.

Notes

• Use purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, not purple-skinned white-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes.
• For a butter-free version, use olive oil; the mash will taste fruitier and less creamy.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The caponata benefits from resting, while the mash holds well covered. Cooking the fish last keeps the most delicate component from drying out.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F and bring the steamer water to a simmer. Cut the eggplant and sweet potatoes.
2. 0:10 — Start roasting the eggplant and steaming the potatoes. Chop the caponata aromatics and herbs.
3. 0:15 — Toast the pine nuts, then start the caponata's onion and celery mixture.
4. 0:35 — Finish the caponata with the roasted eggplant and let it rest. Mash the sweet potatoes and hold covered.
5. 0:40 — Put the Sungolds in the oven. Dry and season the swordfish.
6. 0:45 — Sear the fish while the tomatoes finish roasting. Loosen the mash and gently warm the caponata if necessary.
7. 0:55 — Rest the fish briefly and plate everything on warmed plates.

Plating

A separate sweep of purple mash gives the plate contrast, while the caponata and tomatoes keep the fish juicy and well seasoned.

Instructions

1. Spoon a generous portion of purple sweet potato mash onto one side of each warm plate and drag the back of the spoon through it.
2. Place the swordfish beside the mash, keeping it whole or separating it into a few large pieces.
3. Spoon caponata over and around the fish, leaving some of its pale flesh and seared edges visible.
4. Scatter the warm Sungolds over the caponata and spoon over a little tomato juice. Finish with the reserved parsley.

Leftover Path

Keeping the fish separate protects its texture, and the caponata's flavor deepens overnight. The mash reheats easily with a little added water.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate all components in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Use the fish within 2 days and the vegetables and mash within 3–4 days.
2. Reheat the mash over low heat with a splash of water, stirring until hot and smooth.
3. Warm the caponata and tomatoes gently in a covered saucepan. For hot leftovers, nestle the fish into the vegetables, cover, and heat gently to 165°F without prolonged simmering.
4. Alternatively, flake the chilled swordfish over dressed greens and spoon room-temperature caponata and tomatoes alongside, with the mash served warm.