Pesce Spada alla Ghiotta
Swordfish in tomato, celery, olive and caper sauce
Swordfish cooked in Messina’s ghiotta sauce of tomato, onion, celery, green olives and salted capers.
Messina, Sicily
The regional version.
Messina’s tomato, celery, olive and caper ghiotta applied to swordfish, without potatoes in this version.
- Celery and onion create the base of the Messina ghiotta.
- Green olives and salted capers season the tomato sauce.
- Swordfish is portioned into substantial pieces and finished gently in the sauce.
Technique: swordfish in tomato, celery, olive and caper sauce
The capers and olives already bring salt. Make the sauce first, then add the fish; long reduction after adding swordfish will dry it out.
The recipe
Pesce Spada alla Ghiotta
Ingredients
Main
Method
- 1
Put onions and celery into a wide pan with 40 ml oil and a splash of water. Cook gently for 12–15 minutes.
- 2
Add olives and capers and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer about 10 minutes.
- 3
Pat swordfish dry and sear briefly on each side in remaining oil in a separate pan.
- 4
Transfer fish into the ghiotta sauce, adding a little hot water if the sauce is too thick.
- 5
Simmer gently for 8–12 minutes according to thickness, until the fish is cooked through but still moist.
- 6
Taste the sauce before salting, then serve each portion with celery, olives and capers spooned over.
The version on this page
Messina’s tomato, celery, olive and caper ghiotta applied to swordfish, without potatoes in this version.
- Celery and onion create the base of the Messina ghiotta.
- Green olives and salted capers season the tomato sauce.
- Swordfish is portioned into substantial pieces and finished gently in the sauce.
Cooking it well
The capers and olives already bring salt. Make the sauce first, then add the fish; long reduction after adding swordfish will dry it out.
Serving and planning
Serve with country bread to catch the sauce. Any extra sauce can dress pasta, as a separate first course.
Explore the Sicilian cooking guide for related dishes and pantry notes.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked fish promptly in a covered container and use within 2 days.
Freezing
For best texture, prepare the fish freshly. Freeze any cooked sauce separately for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion required until piping hot throughout. Add a little water if the sauce has thickened.
Keep cooking
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