Swordfish

Got a wake up call from the cardiologist so I thought its time to eat a little healthier.



Garlic rosemary potatoes, corn, and swordfish with herb lemon pesto, delish.

Randy, your meal looks delicious and indulgent. Not at all what I usually picture for "low fat".
Swordfish is so versatile and always grills up so nicely. It's the first fish Len asks for when I'm heading to the fish market. We both wish it wasn't on the list of fish with high mercury levels...

We both wish it wasn't on the list of fish with high mercury levels...

Or becoming endangered due to overfiching of the breeding stock. I like swordfish, but decided several years ago to forego it for that reason.

Randy P,

That dinner looks wonderful! Nice grill marks, too. I gave up eating Swordfish a few years ago (because of health concerns) but your post reminds me that I should make it at least once in a while because it is an excellent grilled fish. Would you be able to provide some details on the pesto? The consistency looks unique.

Thanks.

I used flat leaf parsley, thyme leaves, basil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper, capers, toasted pine nuts, and the juice of 1 lemon. Put them in a blender and added EVOO until I got the consistency I wanted. It really paired up nicely with the fish. -RP

We both wish it wasn't on the list of fish with high mercury levels...

Or becoming endangered due to overfiching of the breeding stock. I like swordfish, but decided several years ago to forego it for that reason.

I forwent it for that reason and the mercury thing (which is very real.)

If you eat enough swordfish, though, you can easily tell what the ambient temperature is.

We both wish it wasn't on the list of fish with high mercury levels...

Or becoming endangered due to overfiching of the breeding stock. I like swordfish, but decided several years ago to forego it for that reason.

I forwent it for that reason and the mercury thing (which is very real.)

I'm with you on the overfishing point: both the size of the fish and the size of the catch have plunged to unsustainable levels. Of course, the same could be said for cod and many types of tuna... *sigh* Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch" page is very informative: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/w ... ional.aspx

However, mercury levels in most fish are of serious concern to children, pregnant women and people who eat fish 3 or more times a week. The truth is that, in many parts of the country, there is more mercury present in the air that we breathe (courtesy of coal-fired power plants and combustion of industrial waste) than in the fish that we eat, and we do have an ability to detoxify a low level of heavy metals ingested (especially if you eat onion or garlic with the fish). Here is a good discussion of the risks associated with fish consumption, courtesy of the Australian gov't.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Or becoming endangered due to overfishing of the breeding stock. I like swordfish, but decided several years ago to forego it for that reason.

I feel bad us saying all this when Randy posted so beautifully--but me too and what a bunch of wet blankets we are. Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

But, for better or worse, freshwater fish account for a very small percentage of the fish sold for consumption in the US (I can't speak for other countries), especially once one gets past the salmonids, most of which are anadromous anyway. The media are rightly focused on what people eat, and one only has to look at the sad story of the Georges Bank to understand the gravity of the crisis facing our marine fisheries today.

Mark Lipton
(Who gladly catches and/or eats trout, walleye and bass)

I'm with you on the overfishing point: both the size of the fish and the size of the catch have plunged to unsustainable levels. Of course, the same could be said for cod and many types of tuna... *sigh* Monterey Bay Aquarium's "Seafood Watch" page is very informative: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/w ... ional.aspx

Actually, swordfish levels in North Atlantic have rebounded to pretty close to max sustainable cap. Pacific isn't quite as strong, but not anywhere near unsustainable levels. If you read, the reason Monterey Bay lists imported swordfish on avoid list is that less careful longliners can do great damage to other species with bycatch.
One of the great strides in recent years is the increase in better origin labeling in seafood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOxpPJYUTDM

I still buy and eat swordfish.
I like to slice it about 1/2 inch thick, and grill it quickly over coals. When it comes off the grill, I douse it with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper.
It's one of my favorite seafood dishes.

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

Of course not. Because there's no story there.

Banner: Don't Worry California, Oregon, Maryland, Louisiana et.al ad.in, There Are Still Fish in Minnesota and Ontario!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOxpPJYUTDM

Seeing Harpo on the briny reminds me that we both liked Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent.

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

Can you say that about marine fish?

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

Can you say that about marine fish?

No, and I never did claim that some ocean fish are not overly fished. If you read the thread again, Jenise stated that she was "surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered." Hence my response.

Frankly, I'm surprised there are any fish left that aren't endangered.

Really? Take a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota or Ontario, just for example. You will see that there are plenty of fish that are no where near endangered. But that is not the kind of story the media likes to cover.

Of course not. Because there's no story there.

Banner: Don't Worry California, Oregon, Maryland, Louisiana et.al ad.in, There Are Still Fish in Minnesota and Ontario!

LOL! I never claimed there was a lack of overfishing in one region, but simply provided one example of a region where fish are abundant and therefore no cause for people to think all fish are endangered.

I did notice Jenise's "any," which I took as a rhetorical device. But if the media did cover the source of abundant fish, you might wish they hadn't.

Of course, the same could be said for cod and many types of tuna... *sigh*

I recently read "The Secret Life of Lobsters". The author contends that the reason we have relatively abundant lobster today is because we've over-fished the cod who typically eat lobster young. So, if there really is a tradeoff between lobster and cod... well, y'know....

It's still not the numbers recorded in contemporary accounts when Europeans arrived. Lobsters were everywhere like cockroaches. There once were so many they were used as fertilizer and as cheap food for prisoners (who complained about lobster, lobster, lobster). I wonder if they'd like the green bologna sandwiches in Arizona jails.

It's a little tangential, but this thread made me think of an old article of Robin's. http://www.grass-roots.org/usa/earth.shtml

Not sure how the situation is today...

Celia

keeping swordfish moist can be a problem - esp if grilling. for grilling one needs to look for a piece that is not only very fresh; but also has a lot of the white stuff between the sections - this is the fat which as in marbeling in beef, etc. will help keep it moist. i lucked out last night and got a really nice piece that grilled up perfectly. another way, is to cook it 'en papillote' with some wine, butter, etc. this method always produces a moist product.