![Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/06/16/dining/11apperex-chicken/11apperex-chicken-mediumThreeByTwo440-v2.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Grilled Swordfish With Corn Salad
![Grilled Swordfish With Corn Salad](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/06/28/dining/28grillingrex1/merlin_189646131_c00b5135-6f4b-4a89-8882-de95139766ab-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 25 minutes, plus grill heating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 4(6-ounce) swordfish steaks, 1- to 1½-inches thick
- 6tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- Neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 1½teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
- 2ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs (about 2 cups kernels)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1ounce chives, cut into 1-inch lengths (about 1 slightly heaping cup)
- 1small bunch cilantro (about 2½ ounces), leaves and stems cut into 1-inch lengths
- Flaky salt, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat by pouring the coals onto one half of the grill. For a gas grill, heat all the burners to high, then turn off one of the end burners before cooking. (See Tip.)
- Step 2
While the grill’s heating, pat the fish dry and make the salad: In a medium bowl, combine the rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons neutral oil, sesame oil and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chives and cilantro on top (don’t stir them in), and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
When you’re ready to grill, pat the fish dry again, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon salt and lightly coat with oil. Take the fish, salad, a tightly folded paper towel soaked with oil, tongs, a fish spatula and a serving platter to the grill. Clean the grates with a grill brush, then oil the grates with the paper towel. Grill the fish until well browned on one side and it releases easily from the grates, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip with a fish spatula and cook until it registers 130 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and keeping an eye out for flare-ups.)
- Step 4
Transfer to the platter. Toss the salad to combine, then top the fish right away with the salad, spooning extra dressing over the fish. Let rest for 5 minutes before eating. Season to taste with flaky salt, pepper and sesame oil.
- Medium-high is 375 to 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 4 to 5 seconds. High is above 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 2 to 3 seconds.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
6 tablespoons of vinegar to 3 tablespoons of oil (plus a little sesame oil) seems like the inverse of the normal ratio for dressing. I'm interested to hear from someone who has tried the recipe... maybe it works.
I used the recipe amount of corn salad for two portions. We loved it all. Personally, I would use a T less of rice Vinegar than the recipe calls for but that is my minor and personal adjustment. To the person who asked about the vinegar/oil ratio, don’t forget that this recipe also calls for 3T of neutral oil in addition to the sesame oil. I agree with the reviewer who said that the sesame oil “makes” the recipe. Delicious.
Raw. fresh corn doesn't need much heat. It will warm up on top of the fish.
I made this recipe as written and it was great. Very easy to put together. The rice vinegar and oil took the edge off the sesame oil which was good. I paired it with a baked sweet potato. Sounds strange but went well together.
We made this on a charcoal grill with uniform heat (not two zone) and it turned out great. The missing flavor is a squeeze of lime over the whole. And more corn salad is a good idea.
Grilled the swordfish and the corn. It was a big hit at our house!
I made this with tuna instead of swordfish, which I just grilled normally, then added the corn topping. I used much less cilantro and chive than the recipe called for, I just estimated what looked appropriate for the number of servings and the amount of corn from two ears. I used the amount in the recipe of the rice vinegar and sesame oil, and I used olive oil as the neutral because I didn't have a neutral. It was delicious.
This was even better than we expected! I did swap the cilantro out for parsley. The whole family enjoyed this one. I also added some spinach, baby chard, and arugula plus threw in some red pepper flakes. Delicious!
Didn’t have time to grill, so cooked on stovetop in cast iron. Turned out great, nice clean flavors showcasing the fresh ingredients, especially end-of-summer corn. Would like to try on the grill next time, as I’m sure that would add another element of flavor.
The dressing was perfect, Scott. The rice wine vinegar provides the acid but it's slightly sweet so there's balance. With the cilantro and chives it adds a zest to an otherwise meaty piece of fish. We tried it tonight and it was great!
Very good. I grilled the corn briefly before adding it to the dressing. I would cut back a bit on the cilantro as I felt it overpowered the corn and chives.
Tastes like late summer! Delicious, easy, quick and looks as beautiful as it tastes. Made this tonight on the spur of the moment - my grocery store had great looking swordfish and I had company coming unexpectedly in an hour. My only substitution was thinly sliced scallions for chives. The end of summer raw corn was sweet and wonderful. Our guests raved and wanted the recipe.
Added 1/2 jalapeno (chopped) for a little kick.
Just made this and, wow, was it good! I had made corn on the cob the day before I saw this recipe and had two leftover ears, which I used to go with the dressing. The only change I made was a light dusting of cumin on the swordfish. Terrific dish overall.
Yum! try another green other than cilantro. Arugula? could do scallions instead of chives...couldn't taste my garden chives. Great use of summer corn.
any reason why you don't stir the cilantro and chives in to the corn mix?
I am not sure how I missed the mark here. Perhaps the quality of the fish was off. The fish and the salad were two individual dance partners that didn't really come together. In this case, the salad was the star. The corn salad was delicious. I added a bit of honey to the dressing and used a combo of parsley and dill instead of cilantro, because that is what I had. In the future, I'll add some flavors directly to the fish pre grilling. This method has been a winner in the past.
Excellent meal for a warm summer evening. Served it with a spoonful of couscous which lapped up the dressing. I blanched the corn kernels - put them in a bowl, poured boiling water over them and drained them after 30 seconds - just enough to make them a nice sunny yellow. I also added kale because I had some - removed the tough stems, ripped the leaves into small pieces and massaged the lot with my fingers until bright green and soft. I maybe added 1 cup? A lovely addition!
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