Grilled Rosemary Swordfish

The manuscript is at forty thousand words and I've entered the middle section, which is the one my editor — I have an editor now, a woman named Claire who sent me seven pages of notes on my proposal and has been my guide since — calls "the turning." The part where the person you were becomes the person you are. The workshops, the channel, the book itself as proof of transformation.

I write in the mornings before the house wakes up. Five-thirty, sometimes five. The kitchen is dark and quiet and I sit at the table with my coffee and my laptop and I work until six-thirty when the first alarm goes off and the house starts its day. Two hours a day. Some days more. The words are coming at their own pace and I've learned not to force them.

Olivia graduates from ninth grade this week. Not a big ceremony — it's not a milestone in the official sense — but she's been extraordinary this year, the workshops, the family's breakfast coordinator, the person who watched all 78 of my videos in a pandemic. I took her out for lunch, just the two of us. She ordered the salmon and ate it thoughtfully and said, "How do you think they got the skin that crispy?" I said: probably very hot pan, very dry fish. She nodded. "I want to learn that," she said.

I will teach her everything I know. She will teach it forward to people I'll never meet. That's how it always goes. That's the whole point of it.

When Olivia asked that question over her salmon — calm, curious, already thinking like a cook — I knew exactly what I wanted to make with her next. Swordfish on the grill, seasoned simply with rosemary, cooked over high heat the way fish deserves to be cooked: with confidence and very little fussing. This recipe is the answer to her question, and the first one I’m writing down so she has it in her hands before she leaves for whatever comes next.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 swordfish steaks (about 6 oz each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
Dry and coat the fish. Pat the swordfish steaks completely dry with paper towels — this is the step that makes the difference. Brush both sides generously with the rosemary marinade, then season with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (450–500°F). Clean the grates well and oil them lightly just before cooking.
Grill the swordfish. Place the steaks on the hot grill and cook without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes, until the fish releases easily and has clear grill marks. Flip once and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is just opaque through the center and flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook.
Rest and serve. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Rosemary Swordfish — The Crispy-Skin Question Olivia Asked That Stopped Me Cold