Swordfish Teriyaki with Bok Choy & Soba Noodles

Teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. The word 'teriyaki' comes from the word 'teri', which refers to a shine or lustre given by the sugar content in the 'tare', which is boiled and reduced to the desired thickness, then used to marinate the meat or fish. 'Yaki' refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling, where the meat is dipped in or brushed with sauce several times during cooking, which allows the sugars in the sauce to caramelize, for a deep, rich full-bodied flavour. Many kinds of teriyaki sauce are sold in grocery stores, but the basic sauce is so easy to make from scratch, and can be used to baste fish, chicken, vegetables and other fish all year round. This recipe for Swordfish Teriyaki is delicious served with some steamed bok choy and cold Soba Noodles, to soak up the lovely sauce.



Swordfish Teriyaki with Chilled Soba Noodles & Bok Choy
Serves 2

2 swordfish fillets
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 small bok choy, trimmed and steamed
2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
1 slice of orange, for garnish
1 handful pea shoot microgreens, for garnish

Chilled Soba Noodles:
2 3.5-ounce bundles of dried buckwheat soba noodles
3/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 orange, juiced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup scallions, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish


Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles for 5-7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Add all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold noodles, cover and refrigerate one hour. The flavours will meld and the noodles will absorb the flavourful liquid. Just before serving, garnish with extra chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, ginger and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture becomes slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Place the swordfish in a shallow baking dish. Pour half of the teriyaki sauce over the fish and refrigerate for 1 hour. Reserve the remaining the sauce.

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Remove the swordfish from the teriyaki sauce, letting any excess drip off, and place on the baking sheet. Cook until the swordfish is almost cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Brush the top of the fish with the reserved sauce and garnish with green onion, sesame seeds. Serve with the chilled soba noodles and some steamed bok choy garnished with sliced orange and microgreens.