There’s something almost to good to be true about grilled meat with fruit – chicken, pork, fish, anything. Not only is it incredibly easy to prepare, but it always delivers amazing results! All it takes is a little creativity – for this occasion, I had leftover bananas from a bananas foster evening (will be blogged about one day if I can beat the melting ice cream in time!). Swordfish steaks were on sale at Whole Foods, so naturally I bought two and made Jamaican-Spiced Swordfish with Banana and Pineapple Salsa.Swordfish are very popular sporting fish, yet these agile predators are no easy catch: measuring up to 14 feet in length and weighing as much as 1,500 pounds, swordfish are quite powerful and highly elusive. As a food, its tough meat is a comparable trade for steak. While considered to be a delicacy, the FSA advises consuming swordfish (shark and marlin as well) no more than once a week; pregnant women and children should avoid it entirely. When choosing swordfish at the store, look for steaks with for healthy pink meat and dark red strips.
This salsa was DELICIOUS! I mean, who thought bananas could take the leap from sweet to savory so effortlessly? As I learned with a previous fruit salsa, ginger does wonders in these settings, so I added a touch to this recipe. Feel free to substitute another fruit for the pineapple, like mango or peach. This salsa was ridiculously good with swordfish, though any fish will do (heck, try it with steak even!) – click HERE to give this fantastic entrée a shot!
This was quite unique recipe, and almost “daring” in theory – thus I wanted a musical piece that was edgy and provocative. I tend to think of Piazzolla when I think of “edgy”, and his Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires) captures a raw energy that pairs perfectly with this dish. The original composition was written for his own quintet, with bandoneón, violin, piano, electric guitar, and double bass. It has since been transcribed for a number of ensembles, from piano trio to solo violin with string orchestra. I have included a recording of the transcription for piano trio below of the third movement: Primavera Porteña (Buenos Aires Spring). Definitely take the time to listen to the to other three as well, it’s worth it – enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzogioRx6A

Sources Cited:
– “Swordfish,” Wikipedia.com
– “Mercury in fish: your questions answered,” Food Standards Agency website.
– “Estaciones Porteñas,” Wikipedia.com