Suya Swordfish

By Kitchen Butterfly, posted about 1 month ago

Photo: Melanie.Einzig

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Swordfish's meaty taste and texture take to grilling beautifully. Kitchen Butterfly's peanut marinade enhances the partnership, cloaking each strip of fish in a spicy, tangy, mildly sweet sauce that caramelizes gently on the grill, lending a mild smokiness. Using homemade peanut butter is a nice touch, and a spritz of fresh lime juice before eating is a must. - A&M

This is an adaptation of a Nigerian peanut marinade, which is commonly spread over meat, skewered and then cooked over hot coals/firewood. We call it suya and it is popular streetfood - the kind of thing Nigerians in diaspora miss when they're away from home! - Kitchen Butterfly

Serves 2-4

Suya Swordfish:

400g swordfish steak, cut into 8 long thick strips
Portion of peanut butter, recipe below
1 teaspoon chili pepper
1teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 -2 tablespoons lime juice
Thinly sliced red onions, tomatoes, lime halves and coriander leaves, to serve

Make the peanut paste by combining peanut butter, paprika, chili pepper, salt, ground ginger and lime juice.
Stir well and taste. Adjust spices as necessary
Place fish strips in a large bowl and pour peanut sauce over it, then using your hands, mix well ensuring the pieces are coated with the sauce.
Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, prepare the bbq and let the coals heat up till fiery red.
Then pass (soaked wooden) skewers through each piece of swordfish, and place on an oiled rack. Let cook for 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip over and let the other side cook for 2-3 minutes. If not ready, remove to part of grill where heat is indirect and let cook till ready.
Serve with thinly sliced red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes, lime halves and coriander leaves

Peanut Butter:

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, skinned
1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Pinch of salt

In a blender or food processor, grind the peanuts till they are crushed. The ground nuts will stick to the sides of the mixing container, so using a spatula, loosen bits from the bottom and round the sides.
Then add oil, drizzling in along with a pinch of salt, blending till you get a 'thick cream' consistency.
Use as directed above.

Comments (43)Add yours

MyCommunalTable about 1 month ago: Congratulations! Keep inspiring! I have a son that is half Nigerian and I am always looking for ways to show him his culture. The pictures on your blog were fun for him to look at.
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: :-), thank you and I'm glad he liked the photos on my blog - In fact since I began blogging I wish I could go back to Nigeria with my new eyes and taste buds for food!
ENunn about 1 month ago: Way to go, KB! Looking forward to having this for dinner soon.
cucinettaNYC about 1 month ago: Congratulations Kitchen Butterfly!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Oh my WORD - I am excited beyond belief to reach a food52 final and win. If I could do cartwheels, I would ....a bit too heavy :-). Thank you everyone
lapadia about 1 month ago: I love it!!! Congratulations!!!
dymnyno about 1 month ago: Congratulations!!! You really deserved this win...a great recipe.
Sagegreen about 1 month ago: Congrats! Wonderfully done.
drbabs about 1 month ago: Congratulations, KB!
nannydeb about 1 month ago: Congratulations on a well deserved win!
MFeats about 1 month ago: I love that you make your own peanut butter! Yum!!
J-Dizzle about 1 month ago: Yummm, this recipe sounds wondeful Kitchen Butterfly! Thank you for sharing. I'm off to the local fish monger right after work to buy some swordfish steaks.....going to try it with fresh coconut milk. Congrats on being a finalist!!
dymnyno about 1 month ago: This recipe really gets it!! It is a recipe that incorporates all the ingredients with a technique that produces a swordfish recipe...not just a sauce recipe.
shayma about 1 month ago: fantastic! x
The Internet Cooking Princess about 1 month ago: This sounds delicious! Literally made my mouth water...
adamnsvetcooking about 1 month ago: We made this recipe for dinner on Saturday night... Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Superb!!!! I'm glad you liked it.........
cucinettaNYC about 1 month ago: Congratulations Kitchen Butterfly! Honored to be a finalist with you too. Love this peanut marinade and plan on using it on some grilled meats!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: I recently made this with store-bought beef patties - marinated the burgers and then finished it off on the grill! It was delish
healthierkitchen about 1 month ago: Congrats! sounds delish.
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you so so so much for your comment and congratulations! We're currently on holiday so I wasn't able to do my perfunctory Thursday check of the finalists. Imagine my SHOCK and EXCITEMENT when I logged on to see that I was a finalist. Absolutely superb. Thank you A&M.........Yay.....
monkeymom about 1 month ago: Congratulations Kitchen Butterfly!!! This sounds great, can't wait to try it!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you monkeymom
ETinDC about 1 month ago: I assume it's possible to use pre-made natural peanut butter instead of making it yourself -- in which case how much is a "portion" of peanut butter?
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: A portion would be about 1/2 a cup. You would need to thin it by heating it up and adding some liquid - anything from water to coconut milk (preferably!)
ETinDC about 1 month ago: Mm, coconut milk!
lastnightsdinner about 1 month ago: This looks and sounds fantastic! You've got my vote :)
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you
Bob Y about 1 month ago: Isn't swordfish endangered? Love it (and this recipe sounds sensational), but I won't eat an endangered species.
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you Bob Y, where I get my swordfish in the Netherlands, they focus on sustainable sources. Traditionally in Nigeria, this marinade goes on beef and chicken....so please give it a try on something you like. Thanks
lastnightsdinner about 1 month ago: Bob Y, there's some good discussion about this topic in the comments here: http://www.food52.com/blog/957_preview_of_next_weeks_theme
drbabs about 1 month ago: Congratulations, KB! great recipe!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you drbabs....
lapadia about 1 month ago: Congrats on the EP and becoming a finalist, love this versatile peanut paste...already saved saved, just voted!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you!
AntoniaJames about 1 month ago: Looks so yummy and, as Lizthechef has noted, versatile as well. Will be trying this on a mixed grill of fish and chicken (as we have one here who does not at all care for fish, but would love everything else about this). Congrats, Kitchenbutterfly!! ;o)
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thanks AJ, it works well with chicken and beef. I'm planning on trying it with carrots soon!
ENunn about 1 month ago: Gosh this sounds good. You get a special place in my heart for using peanuts, one of my favorite foods. I can't wait to make this, now that I'm in a swordfishy mood again!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you ENunn
dymnyno about 1 month ago: I knew this was a unique recipe....I already have it saved. Congratulations on being a finalist!
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Thank you VERY much!
Lizthechef about 1 month ago: Looks good - I'm going to try it with halibut or another firm white fish like our local sea bass.
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: Now, I'll have to try it with seabass......my fave fish! Thanks for the nudge
dymnyno about 1 month ago: Interesting recipe...does the lime juice "cook" the swordfish?
Kitchen Butterfly about 1 month ago: The lime juice is primarily there for tenderising in the marinade and helping to infuse the fish with flavour - it certainly doesn't 'çeviche'!

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Suya Swordfish

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves 2-4

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Suya Swordfish

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Serves 2-4

Comments (43)Add yours

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Editors' Pick

Cooks' Rating:

Right Now in Recipes

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From our shop:

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