The Perfect Midweek Meal

You can throw anything in the pot, trust me 🌞

Happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going well and that all your work meetings have been postponed and any other commitments you might have begrudgingly agreed to got canceled, and you’ve been able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Today, I’m in the mood for swordfish. I have two recipes–one new and one old–to share with you.

The first is one I made a few years ago and have been in love with since. It’s a beautifully seared swordfish with brothy farro. It’s filling, easy to make, and perfect for a warm evening.

Seared Swordfish with Brothy Farro

Of course, you can make this with just about any protein with minor adjustments. It would be great with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or pan-fried shrimp. Halibut, salmon, or cod would be excellent choices as well. It even wouldn’t be wrong to throw in a thick pan-fried pork chop on top. Just adjust the cooking time depending on whichever protein you select.

Brothy farro:

• 1 cup farro

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion peeled and diced

• 4 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 4 cups water

• 1 teaspoon dry thyme

• 6 scallions trimmed and minced

• 4 Roma tomatoes quartered

• Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Swordfish:

• 4 4-ounce swordfish steaks

• 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the Farro:

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add the farro and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 25-30 minutes. The farro should be tender but not overcooked. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Broth:

1. While the farro cooks, prepare the broth. In a wide pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Do not let the onion brown.

2. Add the sliced garlic and cook another minute or so.

3. Melt the butter into the pot. Once frothy, add the water and bring to a boil. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Add the thyme.

Simmer the Broth:

1. Reduce heat on the broth to low and stir in the scallions and the cooked farro. Simmer the broth for 20 minutes. Add the Roma tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes more. Taste and season again to your preferences.

Cook the Swordfish:

1. After adding the tomatoes to the broth, cook the swordfish.

2. Pat the swordfish dry and season all over with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over high. Once very hot, add the swordfish and cook without moving for 2-4 minutes. Note: Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook the swordfish in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet.

4. Flip the swordfish and add the butter. Cook an additional 2-4 minutes, using a spoon to baste the swordfish as it cooks.

5. Using a meat thermometer, check the temperature of the swordfish. Once it reaches your preferred doneness, turn off the heat. Cook the swordfish to 130ºF for medium, 135ºF for medium-well, and 140º for well-done.

To Serve:

1. Divide the brothy farro between shallow bowls and place a seared swordfish filet on top. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Enjoy!

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Poached Swordfish with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I’ve made this meal twice in the past three days, and I’m even eating a bowl of it as I type this email to you. It’s so easy to throw together and it’s perfect for pretty much any fish or seafood. If you have frozen fish–like cod, swordfish or halibut–unthaw it first or throw it into the broth frozen. You’ll just need to increase the cooking time. I love the meatiness of swordfish in this recipe but any firm white fish will work here.

The main broth ingredients are potatoes, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. You could throw some spinach or arugula in there or add a handful of roasted red bell peppers. In the summer, freshly shucked sweet corn would be divine.

The recipe calls for fresh parsley, but I just made this with minced scallions as well. Fresh chives or dill would also be great in this too.

Ready to start cooking? The recipe is below or you can download the print-friendly PDF instead! Happy cooking!

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