Kelsey Bowden of Pros In The City shared this recipe from last year’s New Years Eve Gala.
-JAY
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Last year, we served an exotic grilled swordfish at our New Year’s Gala VIP dinner in DC, and I was able to convince the catering company we use to reveal their secrets. I was given an exclusive “lesson” on how they prepare what they call their Broadbill with Chipotle Cilantro Butter (broadbill is another name for swordfish).
I was surprised to learn that there are only seven simple ingredients in the New Years Eve in DC recipe:
2 pounds of Swordfish cut into four 8 oz. steaks,
8 ounces of butter,
2 tablespoons of cleaned Chipotle peppers,
2 tablespoons of fresh Cilantro (chopped),
2 lemons,
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil,
2 tablespoons of freshly ground coarse sea salt.
The majority of the hands-on time in this recipe is actually spent preparing the ingredients. First, each of the steaks were rubbed with about ½ tablespoon of sea salt on one side then covered with plastic wrap and set aside. Swordfish is relatively tough, so the salt acts as a tenderizer. The chef told me that this was done to all of the steaks served on new years eve the morning of the event in order to be able to cook everything in time once the event actually started, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t let them sit that long.
Meanwhile, while the fish was tenderizing, we pureed the chipotle peppers and whipped the butter in separate food processors. Next, we blended both ingredients and the fresh cilantro (the pulse setting worked really well for this). We then placed the mixture onto parchment paper, rolled in into a 1-inch cylinder, and put it into the refrigerator to harden. This step was performed the night before serving the dish.
Of course, most foods are best when served right off the flame, so the steaks were cooked the night of the event. While we were waiting for the broiler to reach temperature (500 is ideal for cooking swordfish), we coated the steaks with olive oil and squeezed fresh lemon juice onto them. They broiled for about 5 minutes per side; a good way to tell when to flip them is when the first side starts to caramelize. Once they are done, they will have some spring too the touch, but not be too firm. We used a thermometer to be sure that they were cooked. An internal temperature of 155 makes them safe to eat. Be careful not to overcook them as it is very easy to do so.
Each steak was served with several quarter inch slices of the butter and served them with steamed wild rice with fresh dill, asparagus, and carrots, just like at last year’s Gala. I must say, this is one dish I would not mind having several times a year.
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They warmed the buns before serving, an example of the fine attention to detail that every vendor exercised. When the buns ran out, they started piling meat onto plates and serving with grilled zucchini, pickled onions, and a homemade sauce.
The sides and desserts at Farm-to-Street were light and refreshing, like the gazpacho from 
