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Air-Fryer Swordfish Skewers with Tomato-Scallion Caponata

By Afton Cyrus

Published on January 7, 2020

Time

45 minutes (20 minutes cook time)

Yield

Serves 2

Air-Fryer Swordfish Skewers with Tomato-Scallion Caponata

Ingredients

1 small Italian eggplant (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces6 ounces cherry tomatoes 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 12 ounces skinless swordfish steaks, 1 ¼ inches thick, cut into 1-inch pieces2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice4 (6-inch) Wooden skewers 1 garlic clove, minced½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Before You Begin

You can substitute halibut for the swordfish.

Instructions

  1. Toss eggplant, tomatoes, and scallions with 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in bowl; transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until eggplant is softened and browned and tomatoes have begun to burst, about 14 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking. Transfer vegetables to cutting board and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Pat swordfish dry with paper towels. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper in clean bowl. Add swordfish and toss to coat. Thread swordfish onto skewers, leaving about ¼ inch between each piece (3 or 4 pieces per skewer).
  3. Arrange skewers in now-empty air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. (Skewers may overlap slightly.) Return basket to air fryer and cook until swordfish is browned and registers 140 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping and rotating skewers halfway through cooking.
  4. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1 teaspoon honey, remaining 1 teaspoon coriander, remaining ½ teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Microwave, stirring once, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Coarsely chop vegetables, transfer to bowl with dressing, along with any accumulated juices, and gently toss to combine. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve skewers with caponata.
Air-Fryer Swordfish Skewers with Tomato-Scallion Caponata
Photography by Carl Tremblay. Styling by Elle Simone.

Air-Fryer Swordfish Skewers with Tomato-Scallion Caponata

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Time

45 minutes (20 minutes cook time)

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 small Italian eggplant (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces cherry tomatoes
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
12 ounces skinless swordfish steaks, 1 ¼ inches thick, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 (6-inch) Wooden skewers
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Ingredients

1 small Italian eggplant (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces cherry tomatoes
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
12 ounces skinless swordfish steaks, 1 ¼ inches thick, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 (6-inch) Wooden skewers
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Ingredients

1 small Italian eggplant (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces cherry tomatoes
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
12 ounces skinless swordfish steaks, 1 ¼ inches thick, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
4 (6-inch) Wooden skewers
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Why This Recipe Works

Skewered chunks of fish cooked evenly in the air fryer and were easy to serve. For a streamlined caponata, the Sicilian sweet-sour eggplant relish, the air fryer's circulated hot air did a beautiful job of softening and browning mellow eggplant and bright scallions, and of roasting cherry tomatoes until they burst, creating a sauce that helped bind the vegetables, which we coarsely chopped and tossed with warm spices and basil.

Before You Begin

You can substitute halibut for the swordfish.

Instructions

  1. Toss eggplant, tomatoes, and scallions with 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in bowl; transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until eggplant is softened and browned and tomatoes have begun to burst, about 14 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking. Transfer vegetables to cutting board and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Pat swordfish dry with paper towels. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper in clean bowl. Add swordfish and toss to coat. Thread swordfish onto skewers, leaving about ¼ inch between each piece (3 or 4 pieces per skewer).
  3. Arrange skewers in now-empty air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. (Skewers may overlap slightly.) Return basket to air fryer and cook until swordfish is browned and registers 140 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes, flipping and rotating skewers halfway through cooking.
  4. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1 teaspoon honey, remaining 1 teaspoon coriander, remaining ½ teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Microwave, stirring once, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Coarsely chop vegetables, transfer to bowl with dressing, along with any accumulated juices, and gently toss to combine. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve skewers with caponata.

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