If you’ve read my stuff for a while, you probably know that most of the food I cook is smoked, and is usually some sort of land mammal. Not always. There’s been the grilled dish from time to time, as well as a seafood recipe here and there.
But for Christmas, I got a barbecue book focusing specifically on seafood. It’s from the wife, and I took it as a more-than-subtle hint. So expect to see seafood on Wine With BBQ with an uptick in frequency.
Case in point… a dinner I made last week: Swordfish with pineapple salsa.
Fish? Easy. Salsa? That Takes Some Effort
The biggest part about this dish is definitely the pineapple salsa. The fish itself is pretty easy – buy some swordfish steaks from your local fish market or grocery store, salt and pepper to taste, and chill… as the young folk say.
For the pineapple salsa, this is the recipe I followed from the aforementioned book (a real, fresh pineapple in place of the canned bits I used):
- 1 fresh pineapple, cored, peeled, and quartered
- ½ cup seeded and diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup seeded and diced green bell pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp shipped fresh chives
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 teaspoons seeded and minced serrano chile
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Now, I have to note here that I moved to an area that doesn’t have readily available tropical fruits, such as whole pineapples, so I had to improvise. I bought canned pineapple bits and stuck them in the oven at about 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.Also, no serrano chiles, so I used a jalapeno pepper.
As far as the fish steaks went, all I needed to do was pop em on a plate, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and then move them to the grill – about four minutes each side.
Flavor Explosion
I’m not a huge fish guy, and I don’t eat just any fish. For instance, salmon? Too “fishy.” Cuts like swordfish give me that texture I want without the flavor screaming “fish!” That’s why I wanted to try this recipe from my new cookbook.
Of course, the swordfish on its own with just salt and pepper would be, meh. With the pineapple salsa, it became a flavorful barbecue dish that really enhanced the fish. It was a big hit and I’m sure it’ll be requested again.
The Wine: 2020 Crimson Ranch Chardonnay
Like in a previous post, I’m not sure how I acquired this 2020 Crimson Ranch Chardonnay, but when I did my research on it, I was surprised to learn that it’s part of the Robert Mondavi family of wine brands. This kind of made my work easier. Everyone with even a casual knowledge of wine has heard about Mondavi wines and the impact Robert Mondavi had on the wine industry in Napa, California.
I feel like I’d be telling sports fans about Michael Jordan, but just in case you need it, here’s the Mondavi About Us page for more on the winery and its history.
The wine itself was buttery and light. Unlike other California Chardonnays I’ve had in the past, there wasn’t a heavy oak on this. With the pineapple salsa, which really was the main component of this dish, I could have probably been better off with something with more citrus character – maybe a Gruner Vetliner, Riesling, or Chenin Blanc. I think if I was just having the swordfish by itself – and what fun is that – then the Chardonnay would have worked better.
So overall, I give my pairing a C. Not terrible, but my socks weren’t knocked off.
Until next time, cheers!