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    Home » Meat and Game

    Marlin or Swordfish Involtini

    Published: Nov 22, 2014 Modified: Feb 21, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is what happens when you have extra swordfish samples laying around, and need to start using up duxelles from a great lobster mushroom season.

    swordfish with lobster mushroom pine nut stuffing and milkweed caper sauce_-2

    I can’t remember where I got the idea, but I've been making this for years. Here’s the jist: you take a thin piece of swordfish  in the middle of each swordfish slice you place a little stuffing made from breadcrumbs, herbs and pine nuts, then you wrap them up like an envelope with toothpicks, saute them and serve with a simple sauce or maybe just a little bit of lemon.

    swordfish paillards
    Long, sharp knives give even slices

    To incorporate the lobster mushrooms, I put them in the stuffing, using frozen duxelles from the 2014 season. Duxelles are a great, classic addition to stuffing. The texture of the duxelles is similar to the small flakes of breadcrumbs, which gives you a nice, even consistency.

    lobster mushroom duxelles
    Lobster mushroom Duxelles

    The key to the stuffing is not to add too many extra ingredients, it shouldn’t be big and chunky, but very fine, It's also a little more dry than a typical stuffing. Leaving it dry, and not adding any stock means that the stuffing soaks up some of the juice the fish exudes while it cooks, which gives it a great flavor.

    swordfish with lobster mushroom pine nut stuffing and bergamot tomato sauce_-2
    2 ways you could secure the swordfish- jelly roll style, or little packets.

    This is a great recipe for when you have a fish on hand that you might want to cook past medium rare, since the stuffing needs to be hot throughout. Walleye, northern pike, and other lake fish that should be cooked through are great candidates, as well salt water fish like cod or sole.

    swordfish with lobster mushroom stuffing and tomato bergamot sauce
    With bergamot-tomato sauce

    After the fish are stuffed and ready to cook, there are a number of different ways you could create a dish. I don't like to eat the same thing twice, so I made two different preparations to illustrate how I tweak and change dishes, and develop multiple multiple recipes from one starting point (the stuffed swordfish).

    swordfish with lobster mushroom pine nut stuffing and milkweed caper sauce_

    Both preparations are simple: a milkweed caper sauce, and a quick tomato sauce flavored with dried bergamot, I had some cauliflower that needed to get used up too- it works great in both recipes.

    swordfish with lobster mushroom pine nut stuffing and milkweed caper sauce_
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    5 from 1 vote

    Swordfish With Lobster Mushroom Stuffing and Caper Sauce

    Serves 4 as a light entree, or two people with big appetites
    Prep Time45 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Involtini, Stuffed Swordfish, Swordfish
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 165kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 10 inch saute pan

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces swordfish loin in one piece
    • Kosher salt and pepper
    • Cooking oil or lard
    • 1 recipe fresh lobster mushroom Stuffing follows
    • All purpose flour for dredging (optional)
    • 2 tablespoon Milkweed capers or other capers
    • ¼ cup dry white wine
    • ½ cup fish stock clam juice, or chicken stock
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • Kosher salt and pepper
    • Flat leaf Italian Parsley
    • Fresh lemon juice to taste
    • 1 cup small cauliflower florets

    Instructions

    • With a long, sharp knife, slice the swordfish pieces thinly, to create 3 ounce pieces. Pack 2 tablespoon of stuffing in each slice, then roll up the swordfish or fold the edges together to create packets. Secure the swordfish with toothpicks.
    • To cook, heat some cooking oil in a pan, season the swordfish packets with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, then tap off the excess and brown about 2-3 minutes on each side, until hot throughout. Remove the swordfish from the pan and keep warm.
    • While the swordfish is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and cook the cauliflower until lightly browned, season the cauliflower with salt and pepper and keep warm.
    • Deglaze the swordfish pan with the wine and reduce by half. Add the milkweed capers and stock, then increase the heat, swirl in the butter and stir the sauce to thicken it. Season the sauce with lemon juice to taste and salt and pepper if needed, then add the parsley.
    • To serve, divide the cauliflower between four warmed plates. Arrange the swordfish packets on the cauliflower, spoon some of the sauce on each and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Marlin can be used in place of sword fish, as well as tuna or skate. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4oz | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 393mg | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    lobster mushroom stuffing
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    Lobster Mushroom-Pine Nut Stuffing

    Yields about 1.25 cups
    Prep Time15 mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Lobster Mushroom, Pine Nuts, Stuffing
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup fresh lobster mushroom duxelles basic duxelles recipe here
    • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 Tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
    • ½ tablespoon fresh garlic
    • 2 anchovy filets rinsed
    • 2 Tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley chopped
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 egg yolk
    • Splash of dry white wine

    Instructions

    • Heat the butter in a pan and add the garlic and anchovy, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, cook off the liquid, then combine with the panko, pine nuts, parsley and duxelles. From this point the stuffing can be prepared ahead of time, or frozen for later use.

    More

    Lobster Mushrooms

    Lobster Mushroom Recipes

    lobster mushroom stuffing
    Lobster mushroom stuffing
    swordfish with lobster mushroom stuffing and tomato bergamot sauce
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    Swordfish With Lobster Mushroom Stuffing And Bergamot-Tomato Sauce

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Bergamot, Involtini, Swordfish
    Servings: 4
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup pureed whole, peeled tomatoes, passed through a strainer to remove seeds
    • ¼ cup diced shallot
    • 1 cup cauliflower florets
    • Kosher salt and pepper
    • Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
    • ½ cup fish stock clam juice, or chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon crumbled dried bergamot, picked over for stems
    • ¼ cup dry white wine
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    Instructions

    • Proceed with the above swordfish recipe through step 2.
    • Brown the cauliflower lightly in the pan the swordfish was cooked in, then add the diced shallot and cook 1 minute more, deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce by half again. Add the tomato puree, red pepper flakes, dried bergamot, and reduce until slightly thickened.
    • Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the swordfish packets back to the pan and heat for a moment to coat them with the sauce.
    • To serve, remove a swordfish packet from the pan and place on each of 4 pre-heated dinner plates. Spoon some of the tomato-bergamot sauce over each portion and serve immediately.
    swordfish with lobster mushroom pine nut stuffing and milkweed caper sauce_-2
    « Milkweed Capers
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    Chef Alan Bergo

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