SWORDFISH WITH SCALLIONS AND CRACKED PEPPERCORNS

Swordfish With Scallions and Cracked Peppercorns image

This is the sort of dish to cook in the early days of spring when, as Florence Fabricant put it, "freshness, greenery and a touch of peppery spice are the most tempting." Ms. Fabricant brought the recipe to The Times in a 1991 review of "Cooking for All Seasons," by Jimmy Schmidt, then chef and owner of the Rattlesnake Club and Tre Vite Restaurants in Detroit.

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 cup fish stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 bunch scallions, green part only, chopped
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, cracked
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns, cracked
1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns, cracked
4 swordfish steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each, trimmed of skin and fat
Salt to taste
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
4 red radishes, thinly sliced

Steps:

Preheat broiler.
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the stock and the wine. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until reduced to one-half cup, about eight minutes. Add the cream and cook until reduced to one cup, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat, add the scallion greens and set aside for five minutes.
Transfer the cooled mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Strain into a clean saucepan.
Mix the peppercorns together in a small bowl, then divide them among the swordfish steaks, pressing them into the surface of the fish on one side. Place the fish, pepper side up, on a lightly oiled broiling pan and broil it to the desired degree of doneness, about four to six minutes, or longer, depending on the thickness of the fish and the heat of the broiler. Do not turn the fish.
While the fish is cooking, return the sauce to a simmer and reduce it for about two minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add salt to taste.
To serve, spoon some of the sauce on each four warm plates. Sprinkle the chives and radish slices over the sauce, then place a swordfish steak on top. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 688, UnsaturatedFat 19 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 47 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 44 grams, SaturatedFat 24 grams, Sodium 1061 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams