Swordfish with Caponata and Roasted Corn with Miso Butter

Pan-Seared Swordfish

A quick sear gives swordfish a savory exterior without drying out its lean interior. Slicing after a brief rest makes it easy to spoon the caponata across the fish.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb swordfish steaks, about 1 inch thick, tough skin removed
• ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp ghee

Instructions

1. Pat the swordfish thoroughly dry and season with salt and pepper about 10 minutes before cooking.
2. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ghee, then the swordfish in a single layer without crowding.
3. Sear for 3–4 minutes, until golden and easily released from the pan. Flip and cook for another 3–5 minutes, lowering the heat if the exterior browns too quickly.
4. Check the center from the side with an instant-read thermometer; cook to 145°F. The flesh should be opaque and moist rather than translucent.
5. Rest for 3 minutes, then cut into thick slices across the grain.

Notes

• Swordfish thickness matters more than weight for cooking time; begin checking thinner steaks early.

Eggplant Caponata

Roasting concentrates the eggplant while keeping its pieces intact. A restrained sweet-sour dressing, briny capers, and pine nuts give the soft vegetables enough contrast to stand up to swordfish.

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb eggplant, cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
• ⅓ cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 3 tbsp pine nuts
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2–4 tbsp water, as needed

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Spread on a large sheet pan and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until browned and tender through the center.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–4 minutes, shaking often, until golden. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Cook the onion and celery with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until softened and lightly golden.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cook for 5–7 minutes, until it breaks down and most of its free liquid evaporates.
5. Stir in the olives, capers, vinegar, honey, and pepper. Fold in the roasted eggplant and add enough water to keep the mixture moist without making it soupy.
6. Cook gently for 5 minutes, folding rather than stirring vigorously. Add the pine nuts, then taste for salt and vinegar. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• If the caponata tastes sharply acidic, add honey ½ teaspoon at a time; if it tastes heavy or flat, add a small splash of vinegar.
• The caponata can be made a day ahead; its flavor improves as it rests.

Roasted Corn with Miso Butter and Shallots

High heat browns the sweet corn and softens the shallots. Adding miso butter after roasting preserves its aroma and coats the kernels without scorching the miso.

Ingredients

• 6 ears sweet corn, husked and kernels cut from the cobs
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ tbsp gluten-free white miso
• 1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 scallions, sliced, whites and greens separated
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the corn, shallots, and scallion whites with the olive oil and a little black pepper. Spread across a large rimmed sheet pan in a shallow layer.
2. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring after 12 minutes, until the corn has browned spots and the shallots are soft with caramelized edges.
3. Mash the softened butter with the miso and rice vinegar until evenly combined.
4. Transfer the hot corn to a bowl and toss with the miso butter. Fold in most of the scallion greens, reserving a little for serving.
5. Taste before adding salt, since the miso provides much of the seasoning. Serve hot, topped with the remaining scallion greens.

Notes

• Use two sheet pans if necessary; crowded corn steams instead of browning.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The caponata benefits from resting, leaving the final few minutes free for the fish. Both vegetable components roast at the same temperature.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut and season the eggplant, then put it in the oven.
2. 0:10 — Start the caponata's onion and celery mixture while preparing the corn and shallots.
3. 0:20 — Put the corn in the oven on a separate rack. Mix the miso butter and toast the pine nuts, checking both roasting pans as needed.
4. 0:30 — Fold the roasted eggplant into the caponata and finish its brief simmer. Let it rest off heat.
5. 0:35 — Pat dry and season the swordfish. Finish roasting the corn and toss it with the miso butter; cover loosely to keep warm.
6. 0:45 — Sear the swordfish, rest briefly, and slice. Plate immediately with the caponata and corn.

Plating

Keeping the corn beside the fish preserves the contrast between the buttery kernels and the sweet-sour caponata.

Instructions

1. Arrange thick swordfish slices across one half of each warm plate.
2. Spoon the caponata over the middle of the fish, leaving some of the flesh and browned edges visible.
3. Mound the miso-butter corn alongside and finish with its reserved scallion greens. Spoon any caponata juices over the fish rather than over the corn.

Leftover Path

Storing the components separately keeps the caponata's vinegar from overwhelming the corn and allows gentle reheating of the lean fish.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate all components separately in covered containers within 2 hours. Use the swordfish within 2 days and the caponata and corn within 3–4 days.
2. Serve leftover swordfish chilled or gently reheat it, covered, with a splash of water until it reaches 165°F; avoid prolonged cooking, which dries it out.
3. Bring the caponata toward room temperature for serving. Reheat the corn gently in a covered saucepan with a spoonful of water, stirring until hot.
4. For a different meal, flake the chilled swordfish over greens and spoon caponata alongside, with the warmed corn served separately.