Spiced Swordfish

My contribution to this dish is small. With good seafood, most of the flavor comes from the raw ingredients at its own accord: no need to awaken it and draw it out. With excellent fish, the main responsibility of the chef is not to overcook. Yesterday I bought fresh harpoon-caught swordfish at the Whole Foods, Union Square, NY, and stood a mile-long line, regretting ever having stepped into the store. In retrospect, 20 minutes of being sideswiped by shopping carts was actually worth it.

What you need:
swordfish steaks, however many you need
a variety of ground peppers and spices
  (I used cheyenne, white pepper, chili powder, a touch of oregano)
coarsely ground black and red capricorns
salt to taste
olive oil

How to do it:
In a shallow dish, combine all the spices, peppers and salt. There should be a sizable pile of spices. A cast-iron grill pan is perfect for a grill job. Pour some oil on the grill and set it on high heat. Wash the fish and pat it dry. Then, dip both sides of it into the spice dish until coated evenly, set on the grill pan when it has become hot and lower the heat a bit to prevent burning. Without moving, grill the fish for about 3-4 minutes on each side. The time varies according to your pan, its heat, and the thickness of swordfish steaks. When both sides of the fish have nice brown grill marks, remove from heat. If your fish is cut very thickly, as mine was, you can set these steaks, wrapped all around in tin foil, into the oven heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. This is what I did to ensure that the fish is cooked through. And, boy, was it good!

As a side dish I would recommend a very mild salad dressed with sour cream to alleviate the spiciness of the fish. Enjoy!