Grilled Swordfish with Garlic Soy Marinade

I was surprised to realize I hadn't yet posted my basic recipe for grilled swordfish. In fact, I would have taken a photo with the fish in a more starring role than the shot above, had I known at the time I needed to get this one on the blog. Sure, I like to get fancier with swordfish on the grill, dressing it up with pineapple salsa, for instance. But when we finally had a beautiful Saturday evening, and I had a small window of time to cook after our Little League game, this simple grilled swordfish was the perfect choice to welcome the grilling season. Healthy, easy, and tasty, you might want to make it a regular part of your repertoire, too!

Ingredients
1 swordfish steak, about 1.25 inches thick and 10 to 12 ounces (that's the quantity I had, this marinade would stretch for a good bit more if needed)

1/4 cup soy sauce, preferably lower sodium
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp canola or similar oil
1 tsp brown rice vinegar
tsp honey
generous pitch ground ginger

Recipe
Preheat the grill. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Gently toss the swordfish with the soy garlic mixture so that it well coated, and let the fish rest in the marinade for about 15 minutes.

Remove the swordfish from the marinade, scraping the larger bits of garlic off--leaving a bit on is good though. Reserve the marinade.  Place the swordfish on the grill, medium high heat, and cover. Grill for 6 minutes, then flip it to the other side. Brush some of the reserved marinade to coat the cooked side of the fish (see "safety tip" below). Grill for another 6 minutes. This timing was perfect for our swordfish, but check for doneness as cooking time will vary based on the heat of your grill and size of the swordfish.

When cooked to your liking, remove the swordfish from the grill and place on platter to rest for a few minutes. Divide the swordfish and plate. I served it with a side of this Farfalle with Feta and Chipotle and some sauteed baby broccoli. A nice combination!

Wine Pairing: I often go with pinot for substantial fish like swordfish and salmon. I sort of did that this time--served it with the 2013 Banshee Rosé of Pinot Noir from Sonoma County.  My tasting tweet on this one simply said "yum!" but I suppose I should attempt to elaborate. This rosé has enough body to stand up to this substantial grilled swordfish, with plenty of good fruit flavor of its own. As you might suspect, it had a nice refreshing quality one appreciates when it's finally warm enough to get the grill going. I've also enjoyed the Banshee Pinot Noir, and have another bottle on hand. But I'm glad I went with the rosé for this first night of grilling, and will save that pinot for a time I have chicken or pork on the grill.

Safety tip: Marinades should never be used as an uncooked sauce for your food. In the this recipe, a bit of the reserved marinade is applied mid-cooking, allowing a chance it to be cooked through.