Renee Touponce was born only a few hours away from Mystic, Conn., the coastal town where she is now the chef at two well-known restaurants celebrating fresh-picked seafood from the region and freshly picked products. In terms of ingredient choices, food that was served at the Italian-American and Puerto Rican table was a world away, according to the chef. Happily, this recipe–her first Slow Food Fast contribution–represents a delicious collision of her past and present. “Growing as a child, I was a fan of chicken Milanese. So, after a time (as the executive chef at the Oyster Club], I thought, ‘Why don’t we do fish with swords in Milanese?'”
The dish that results — delicate, decadent, and surprisingly simple, is as intelligent as it is quick to prepare. The chef says to choose a swordfish, opt for large white steaks. If you’re concerned that your knife isn’t enough to cut the swordfish vertically into pieces, request your fishmonger to take on the job. Then all you need to do is smash the cutlets thinly, wrap them in a light coating of breadcrumbs, egg, and flour and then quickly fry them in oil. For a side dish salad, a simple summer salad with arugula and sweet onion and cherry tomatoes is all Touponce advises you to have. If everything is fresh, nothing else is to it, she said.
Swordfish Milanese With Arugula, Tomatoes and Red Onion
A riff that is based on seafood and the chicken cutlet that is a classic, this easy dish is sure to please all the family members.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds swordfish steaks
- Salt Kosher
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus additional as needed
- Four eggs, beaten
- 3 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Two tablespoons of olive oil and more oil for frying when needed
- Four large arugula handfuls
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/4 of a red onion thinly cut
- Two lemons
Directions
- The swordfish can be cut horizontally to make four ( 1/2-inch thick) cutlets. Place cutlets on plastic wrap. Then, using the meat tenderizer or a large pan, pound each to 1/4-inch thickness. (Take careful not to tear the fish.) Take the plastic off and season cutlets on each side with onion powder, salt, and garlic powder.
- In a bowl, fill it with flour, another bowl with eggs, and the final with breadcrumbs. In small batches, dip cutlets into flour, then dip in eggs and press down into flour until all sides are coated. Set aside.
- Add 1-2 inches of olive oil to the large saute pan at medium-high temperature. When hot, fry the cutlets in batches until golden on the first side, around 2 minutes. Then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden on the other side. Transfer the cutlets onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle salt. In addition, add fresh oils to the skillet in between batches, if required.
- As you go, toss arugula, onions, and tomatoes in an enormous bowl. Dress it with the juice of 1 lemon and two tablespoons of olive oil. Cut remaining lemon into wedges. Divide salad and cutlets among four plates. Serve lemon wedges with the meal.
