From “Tavern on the Green,” by Jennifer Oz LeRoy and Kay LeRoy (Artisan Books, 2009)
Ingredients
One 4-pound, skin-on, center-cut piece of swordfish (about 3 inches thick), patted dry with paper towels
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup fine sea salt
MOJITO BUTTER
10 tablespoons (1 1/4sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup white rum
2 tablespoons dark rum, such as Mount Gay
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons very finely chopped mint leaves
Directions
Place the fish on a small, rimmed baking sheet and brush the top surface with about half of the melted butter. Scatter with half of the salt, pressing it down gently. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, to chill the butter.
Take the sheet out, carefully turn the swordfish over, brush with the remaining melted butter, and coat with the remaining salt. Return to refrigerator for 20 minutes more.
Meanwhile, begin making the mojito butter: Cut the butter into 10 pieces, place on a plate, and put in the freezer for 10 minutes. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the white and dark rums and the lime juice, place over medium heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes (there will be about 2 tablespoons liquid remaining).
Place an oven rack about 6 inches from the source of heat and preheat the oven to broil. Remove the reduced liquid from the heat and whisk in one piece of the chilled butter. Return to very low heat and continue whisking in the butter, one piece at a time, until the sauce is creamy and emulsified. Don’t let it get too hot, or the butter will melt and the sauce will become oily; move the pan back and forth to keep the sauce just lukewarm. Whisk in the mint and set aside at the back of the stove, covered, while you broil the fish (don’t try to re-warm the sauce, or it may separate).
Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil the swordfish without moving or disturbing it for 14 minutes, or until golden brown.
With a flat-ended metal spatula, turn the fish over and broil for about 12 minutes more, until firm and only just cooked through to the center. Slice and serve on warmed plates. Drizzle the slices with a little of the (very rich) mojito butter and place a little mound of mango salsa on top.
Mango Salsa
Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Ingredients
2 cups diced ripe mango ( 1/2-inch dice)
1 small serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and minced (about 1 teaspoon), or to taste
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine all the ingredients. Toss together gently, then let rest for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator, for the flavors to marry. Do not keep longer than 1 hour or fruit will get mushy.
