Name: Grilled Swordfish with Eggplant Salad
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves; 1/2 medium red onion, coarsely chopped; 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Table salt; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 2 swordfish steaks, each about 1 pound and 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick; Ground black pepper; 1 large eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds; 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half or in quarters if large; 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Why This Recipe Works

For our Grilled Swordfish with Eggplant Salad recipe, we gave a flavor boost to the fish with a paste prepared from cilantro, onions, garlic, and spices. The ingredients cooked over the hot fire and lent the fish rich flavor. We cooked the fish and eggplant simultaneously over a hot grill. We removed the fish when the interior was just opaque because it continued to cook a little from residual heat. We rinsed the chickpeas well before adding them to the salad to remove any tinny flavor the beans may have picked up from the can.

Before You Begin

Halibut or salmon steaks can be substituted for the swordfish.

Instructions

Process cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in food processor or blender until smooth.

Cut each swordfish steak in half and place in baking dish. Coat with 1/2 cup cilantro mixture. Brush eggplant slices with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill swordfish and eggplant over hot fire until fish is cooked through and eggplant is grill-marked and soft, 5 to 6 minutes per side for fish and 3 to 4 minutes per side for eggplant.

Transfer fish to serving platter. Chop eggplant into 1-inch chunks and place in medium bowl. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, remaining cilantro mixture, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve fish with eggplant salad.