Swordfish alla Messina

By John, 24 August, 2020
Region
Italy
Description

 

Swordfish MessinaMessina is in northeast Sicily, at the point closest to the boot of mainland Italy; that's where the ferries come in from Reggio di Calabria.

Swordfish alla Messina is a classic local dish. Every summer when the swordfish pass through the Strait of Messina, the local fishermen go out in specially-modified boats called feluccas to bring them to the table fresh daily.

When we went to Italy in 2018, we stayed a night in Chianalea, a fishing village along the waterfront of Scilla, on the east bank of the Strait of Messina. The village is built on the swordfish fishery, and you get the freshest fish there. I enjoyed a very memorable Pistachio-Crusted Swordfish that night!

This dish brings together some of the classic flavors of Sicily: almonds, capers, and tomatoes. If you were in southern Italy or Sicily, you would use the celebrated oblong sweet red onions of Tropea, just north of the toe of the boot, but regular red onions work OK too.

Yield
2 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Ingredients
8 oz Cherry Tomatoes
1⁄2 Red Onion
3 T Olive oil
16 oz Swordfish steaks
2 T Capers
2 T Bread Crumbs
2 T Sliced Almonds (chopped)
1 T Parsley, Flat-Leaf (chopped)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wash and quarter the tomatoes.
  3. Slice the onion thinly.
  4. Put 2 Tbsp of the oil in the bottom of an oven-safe serving dish, then add the onions.
  5. Put the fish on top of the onions, then spread the tomatoes and capers on the fish. If you want salt and pepper, add them now.
  6. Combine the bread crumbs, almonds, and parsley and the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, and spread that over the fish.
  7. Bake until done, 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve hot.
Source
https://www.salepepe.it/ricette/secondi/di-pesce/pesce-di-mare/pesce-spada-messinese/