Fennel and Black Peppercorn Crusted Swordfish with Pan Roasted Carrots Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

This is a bistro dish if there ever was one. The fennel black peppercorn crust goes great with swordfish and carrots go great with fennel. It is a win, win in my mind. The thing I know about swordfish is the closer the steak is to the belly the more fat it will have, hence the better the flavor and less sinew. The other thing is it is a steak so you have to treat it like one, and I am not talking about temperature, but letting it rest so it relaxes and becomes tender. Then you reheat it and finish cooking it. - thirschfeld —thirschfeld

Test Kitchen Notes

The dominant flavors of fennel and black pepper with a bridge of thyme....well that's how cravings are born. The unique aromas and taste make this dish intensely delicious and memorable. The interesting rhythms of salting the fish, cooking it, letting it rest, and then baking really do cultivate all the steak-like qualities of the swordfish. You will want to use a steak knife to eat this: It is very meaty. The root vegetables are wonderful as well. I suggest this would be a great recipe for a fall evening because of the heartiness. I love the use of the dry rub at the beginning and then the use of fresh herbs tossed in at the end. I would consider offering a squeeze of lemon while plating. My son and I both enjoyed this immensely, and he is usually not a fan of swordfish. I highly recommend this recipe, it was a pleasure to make and eat. - Sagegreen —The Editors

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• For the swordfish:
• 4 swordfish steaks, about 6 ounces each and 3/4 of an inch thick
  
• kosher salt.
  
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoonswhole black peppercorns
  
• 1 tablespoonfennel seed
  
• 1 teaspoondried thyme
  
• 1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
  

• For the swordfish and carrots
• 20 medium sized carrots of different colors, trimmed and peeled
  
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed , outer layer removed and shaved into thin slices
  
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
  
• 10 cloves of garlic, trimmed and peeled
  
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  
• 4 teaspoonsunsalted butter
  
• 1 tablespoontotal of equal parts parsley, chives and thyme, minced