We were lucky enough to have a day off on the solstice this year in Southern California. We spent the day hiking to Cerro Alto with views of the coast and the hills of Paso Robles, visiting one of the best wineries in the world, Tablas Creek and getting fresh swordfish right off the dock in Morro Bay.
In the evening at the campground we cooked up a killer meal with just a fire and some good fish and wine. Here is a simple recipe of how we made a grilled swordfish steak on the fire.
Grilled Swordfish on the Campfire
1 Swordfish steak, 12 oz
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
Pinch of dried oregano and dried chili
1/2 teaspoon salt
Small pieces of wood or charcoal for the fire
Start the fire at least 30 min before you want to put on the steak. Use smaller pieces of wood or charcoal to make for a nice breathing fire that will get the heat up fast. I usually search the campground for previously burned pieces of wood that I can break up and light quickly. Of course starting a fire in Southern California in June is too easy…
In the meantime, toss the swordfish with the oil, garlic and spices. Let sit while the fire gets really hot. If the fire pit has a grate put that over the fire so that it too is VERY hot.
When ready put the steak on the fire and let cook without touching for 5 min. Flip once and continue another 3 min. Remove from the heat. There should be nice markings from the grate and it should be medium rare on the inside.
Let the steak sit and rest for 2 min on each side before eating.
We served this swordfish recipe with a tomato, local feta and red onion salad, bread and also some bonus grilled scallops that we quick grilled alongside the steak.
