SAN DIEGO — Coming back from skiing in Park City, Utah for the Winter I worked at an Italian restaurant in Point Loma for about 6 weeks. It was while I was waiting for my Summer job to open at Guilio's in PB, and for the life of me can't remember the name.
The restaurant was Italian but there was a Portuguese influence because it was Point Loma and they served this relish on all kinds of fish because it was so versatile. I've even tried it on steak and chicken.
Puttanesca Relish
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives sliced
- 1/4 cup Manzanilla olives sliced
- 1/2 cup Onion, grilled & chopped
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes, split, grilled & chopped
- 1 tbsp. Capers
- 1/2 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp crushed Red Peppers
- 1 - 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. Red Wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Anchovy paste
- 1/2 Lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh Basil chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh Oregano chopped
You'll want to make this relish in advance. Grill on medium-high heat, slice the onion thick, split the Roma tomatoes, brush with Olive oil, season with salt and grill - both sides for the tomatoes, one side for the onions. Let the tomatoes and onions cool down before you give them a coarse chop. Combine the rest of the ingredients and lightly toss, try to do this 15 minutes in advance so the flavors can blend.
Grilled Swordfish w/ Puttanesca Relish
- 5-6 oz Swordfish steaks
- 1 tbsp Pesto
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
Remove skin from Swordfish, combine Pesto with Olive oil and lightly cover steaks. Grill Swordfish over medium-high heat for 3 - 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Do not overcook the fish, it will keep cooking once it comes off the grill. Top with Puttanesca relish and serve.
Pesto
- 2 cups fresh Basil leaves, pressed
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3/4 cup Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Pine nuts, low salt, or Pine nuts
- 1/3 cup Parmesan grated cheese
- 1 tsp zest of lemon
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 3 or 4 twists of fresh cracked pepper
Place 2 cups of Basil in a blender or food processor, add other ingredients and run your machine to desired texture. Taste and adjust to taste with salt and pepper.
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