Swordfish Face-Off - Me Against the Standard Grill

A few weeks ago, Lisa and I tried the Standard Grill in the much-talked-about Standard Hotel, which is located right under the High Line in the Meatpacking District. Our experience was great, surpassing our expectations on all fronts--atmosphere, food and ummm...people watching.

In terms of the food, there was a stand-out dish we both ordered that sort of stuck with us, and that was the grilled Atlantic swordfish ($18). It had a slightly charred crust from the grill and on the inside, it was cooked perfectly--flaky and tender, it broke off in neat pieces. I loved the citrusy marinade, flavored by soy, lime and ginger--it gave the dish a slightly Asian taste without making any one flavor overpowering. A bed of herbed cous-cous rounded things out, giving the protein a much needed starch.

I was so taken by their swordfish that I decided to make my own - I'm sure you could guess whose is whose. Although the Standard swordfish wins on appearance, I think they're tight competitors in taste, if I say so myself.

Here's how I made mine, substituting a honey-mustard marinade for the soy/lime/ginger. I also replaced cous-cous with tabbouleh salad.

Foodista's Grilled Swordfish Steak with Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 lb of fresh swordfish steak
Olive oil
1 tbs or more of whole grain mustard
1 tbs of honey (I prefer clover)
The juice of 1 lemon (reserve 1/2 for fish marinade and the other 1/2 for the tabbouleh)
Salt and pepper to taste
A box of store-bought tabbouleh mix (I used Near East)
A handful of yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
A handful of golden raisins
1/4 cup of chickpeas

Directions
Make marinade for fish, starting with two glugs of olive oil, honey, mustard, the juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and pepper. Whisk together in a bowl. Place swordfish steak in bowl and marinate for 1/2 hour - flipping the fish a couple of times so both sides get coated.

In the meantime, make the tabbouleh salad according to the directions on the box. I used the flavoring packet that came with it but you don't have to. It's a good idea to make this while waiting for the fish marinade to set in because it takes about a 1/2 hour for the tabbouleh grains to soak in the water and become fluffy. After this happens, add the chickpeas, tomatoes, golden raisins, the remainder of the lemon juice, 1 tbs of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix together and fluff up with a fork.

Make sure you have a hot grill pan or a grill (I oiled mine) to place the swordfish on. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your swordfish steak.

Plate together with the prepared tabbouleh and put extra lemon juice on top if you like. Enjoy!

And if you still want to try Standard Grill's version, here's where to find them.

The Standard Grill - 848 Washington Street, New York NY 10014
212.645.4100
E/L Train to 8th Avenue
www.thestandardgrill.com