574. BROCHETTE OF BACON-WRAPPED SWORDFISH

makes 4 servings


1 small clove garlic
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup dry bread crumbs
8 large white mushrooms
Juice of ½ lemon
2 bell peppers (capiscums), 1 red and 1 yellow or 2 red
1¾ pounds swordfish, 1½ inches thick
6 strips bacon
8 large cloves roasted garlic
1 sweet onion, preferably Vidalia
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

First place 8 long bamboo skewers in cold water to soak. Finely chop the garlic with the herbs, season with black pepper, mix with the bread crumbs, and side aside. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Place the mushroom caps in a small saucepan with the lemon juice and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then drain immediately. Set aside. Core and seed the peppers and cut them into 2-inch (5-cm) squares. You should have 16 squares of pepper. Trim any skin from the swordfish and cut the fish into 12 uniform medallions, about 1½ x 2 inches (4 x 5 cm). Wrap each in ½ strip of the bacon. Peel the roasted garlic cloves. Peel the onion, quarter it and separate it into layers. Preheat a grill or broiler. Thread the ingredients, just slightly off center, on each of 4 skewers, starting with a mushroom cap, then a roasted garlic clove, then a chunk of bacon-wrapped swordfish, taking care to put the skewer through the bacon as well as the fish. Follow with a square of red pepper, a piece of onion, and another square of pepper, a chunk of swordfish. Continue with pepper, onion, pepper, swordfish, garlic, and mushroom. Insert a second skewer about ½ inch (1.3 cm) from the first in each brochette. Repeat with the remaining skewers. Lightly season the skewers with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil, and roll in the bread crumb mixture to coat lightly. Grill or broil the skewers 6 to 8 minutes, turning them as they brown.


courtesy of: Life in Italy.com, 5909 Bethlehem Court, Rockville, Maryland 20855 / (301) 738 6827