Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 can (28 ounces) Italian style tomatoes drained and chopped. Juices reserved

½ cup clam juice

½ teaspoon dried oregano

3 large swordfish steaks cut at least 1“ thick, (about 12-14 oz each)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup flour

3 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups Italian style breadcrumbs

Swordfish Scaloppini “Pizza Style”

Scaloppine di Pesce Spada alla Pizzaiola

Yield: 6 generous portions

Printable Version

To make the sauce heat half of the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and the red pepper flakes until the garlic is tender and aromatic, but not brown, about 1 minute. Stir in half of the parsley. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring well, until most of the water has evaporated, about 7 minutes. (Add a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are tart.) Pour in the clam juice, reserved tomato juice and oregano. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce is slightly thickened with a rich aroma, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the swordfish steaks into scaloppini. A long, thin, and very sharp knife works best. Trim away any skin and excess fat from the fish. Lay a steak flat on a cutting board and slice it in half horizontally using long, gentle, back-and-forth slices. It is helpful to press down on the fish with your other hand to maintain an even density and feel where the knife is. Separate and again slice the pieces in half horizontally to form four ¼” thick scaloppini. Repeat with the remaining swordfish steaks. Place the fish pieces between two pieces of waxed paper and gently pound with a flat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy pan for thinner and flatter scaloppini.

Season both sides of the scaloppini with salt and pepper. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate, shallow dishes. Coat a piece of swordfish in the flour, tapping gently to remove any excess. Then dip both sides in beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining scaloppini.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry the scaloppini a few at time in the remaining olive oil until golden and tender, about 1 minute on each side. Remove the cooked swordfish to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm and repeat with the remaining fish.

To serve, pour the sauce onto a serving platter and arrange the golden swordfish pieces on top. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.