Swordfish, Dilled Peach

Sweet peaches and herbal dill against meaty swordfish steaks. The fish gets a quick lemon-juice marinade while the topping comes together in a skillet: thinly sliced onions caramelized with garlic and honey, then folded with fresh peach slices and a generous handful of dill.

The trick is keeping the peach mixture around the fish in the roasting pan, not on top. Spooning it over too early traps the fish under wet topping and it steams instead of bakes. Meanwhile, the topping keeps softening and picks up fish juices in the pan. Once the fish comes out, the peaches go over the top to serve.

Swordfish has the texture and richness to stand up to fruit and herbs. It won’t get drowned out the way more delicate fish would.

Chef Tips

• Pat the swordfish completely dry before seasoning. Wet fish steams instead of bakes.
• Use ripe but firm peaches. Mushy peaches break down too quickly in the pan.
• Honey caramelizes faster than other sugars, so watch the onions in the last minute or two to keep them from going bitter.
• Check the fish at the 20-minute mark. Swordfish goes from juicy to dry fast. The center should still look slightly translucent when you pull it.

Variations

• Swap fresh peaches for nectarines or apricots in the topping.
• Use tuna or halibut steaks if swordfish isn’t available.
• Add a splash of white wine or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the topping for more dimension.