I finally knew the commitment to learn to cook for my family had paid off when I was wheeling my then 3 year old around the supermarket. She pointed to the fish counter and shrieked "I want SWORDFISH!"  Can you imagine - I was so impressed with this boisterous tot that I snapped up the available fish immediately.  Sadly I can't truthfully confess that all my children were so readily converted to the treasures of the sea.  My thirteen year old still refuses to consume any morsel of fish, however the rest of the clan positively lap this up and I must say it's one of my favorites too.

As with most dishes I attempt this is quick and easy, unless you have a rather brain dead moment - as I did last night when I was preparing it.   Normally, in more lucid moments, I sear this in a pan, then add the wine and other ingredients and gently simmer until cooked.  For some completely unexplained reason, after I had seared the fish, I removed it to a plate - then (horror of horrors) I put the pan to soak in warm, soapy water!! - How on earth did I think I was going to make the sauce?  Not to worry, I piled it all into a baking dish and baked it for 15 minutes and it was lovely.

Heat the oven to 350F

Ingredients:

Swordfish steaks

olive oil

salt and pepper

handful of fresh herbs (I used oregano)

2-3 lemons

1 1/2 cups of white wine

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of capers

In a large pan heat the olive oil.

Pat the swordfish steaks dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper and some finely chopped herbs.

When the oil is hot add the steaks and sear for 3 minutes.

Turn over and sear for another 3 minutes.

Remove from the pan and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Add the white wine, zest and juice of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon of capers and a tablespoon or so of chopped herbs.  Cover with aluminium foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and check that the fish is just cooked through.  Transfer the fish to a platter.  Place the baking dish over the stove top on  a low heat, simmer for a few minutes.  Add the butter and swirl gently until dissolved.

Pour the juices over the fish, squeeze the juice of another lemon over the top and sprinkle a few more herbs.

This is most popular with buttered green beans and some crusty bread.