Cencioni with Swordfish and Broccoli di Rape

A very inviting bunch of broccoli di rape (or rapini as some may know it) was the inspiration for this dish. Broccoli di rape was a regular staple grown in our veggie patch by Nonno and cooked by Nonna (my Italian grandparents). It is a type of bitter broccoli that is boiled and sauteed with olive oil and garlic (sometimes with mashed potato), and eaten with a good hunk of bread and cheese. I remember the vegetable being very dark and very bitter (and something I used to turn my nose up as a child), and was a little surprised when I found the version above in an Asian vegetable store in Sydney Road, Brunswick. I later found out that the vegetable does come in two varieties – the darker, bitter Italian variety, and a Chinese version, which is not only lighter in colour, but light on the bitterness. The entire plant is edible – stalk, leaves and even the pretty little yellow flowers.

The other item that inspired me was some cencioni, or VERY large orecchietti pasta, that I purchased from the Mediterranean Supermarket in Brunswick (well…EG and I were walking to A1 Bakery for some cheese and spinach pies, and got distracted a few times along the way!). Cencioni are about four times the size of regular orecchietti, and are flatter and somewhat rose petal like with an upturned end. They take approximately 20-25 minutes to cook.

Lastly was a beautiful swordfish steak care of the Victoria Market. The steak was easily an inch thick, and had been butterflied for easy cooking.

And what does this all make? Well excuse the bit-o-this and bit-o-that-ness to the recipe, as this is something I cooked up on the fly. But it is inspired by a traditional Puglian dish, orecchiette with broccoli.

Cencioni with Swordfish and Broccoli di Rape
Serves 2

250g Cencioni
1 bunch of Broccoli di Rape
1 swordfish steak (enough for two portions)
4-6 anchovies
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
Olive oil, at least a couple of tablespoons (and perhaps a glug or two more)
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of grated Parmigiano

Method:

• Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
• Prepare the broccoli by cutting into 5cm long lengths. You want to separate the bits into three piles – stalk, stems and leaves. The reason for this? Well, they will cook at varying times, and you really don’t want to overcook the broccoli (it goes mushy).
• Heat up a large saute/fry pan and cook the seasoned swordfish steak (salt and pepper) in a little olive oil. Don’t overcook – err on the side of being underdone than overdone (it will cook further later). Remove from the pan and place to the side.
• When the water is boiling, throw in the cencioni. Remember, these will take about 20-25 minutes to cook. At about the 10 minute mark throw the broccoli stalks into the pasta water – these will take the longest to cook. At the 15 minute mark, throw in the stems.
• Whilst the pasta and broccoli is cooking, place the saute/fry pan back onto a very low heat and give it a generous glug of olive oil. Throw in the chopped garlic, anchovies and crushed dried chilli flakes. You want to break up the anchovies and smoosh them around in the olive oil, which will impart a meaty/salty flavour to the dish (and surprisingly, not a fishy one). Keep an eye on the garlic and don’t let it burn. It will just turn bitter.
• Cut the swordfish into chunks and finely grate the lemon rind directly onto the fish (use a microplane if you have one). The heat from the fish should help to release some of the oils in the lemon rind.
• Check the cencioni for doneness – they should be al dente without seeing flour in the bite. Drain the cencioni, reserving half a cup of the cooking liquor.
• Place the broccoli leaves into the saute/fry pan and cook for a minute until wilted. Toss in the drained cencioni and broccoli, coating the pasta and leaves in the anchovy/oil/garlic/chilli, using an extra glug of olive oil, lemon juice and pasta cooking water if the dish is looking a bit dry. You may also need to add some extra seasoning at this stage, although the anchovies should provide the necessary salt. Taste it and see.
• When the pasta looks nicely coated, toss through the swordfish and a little parmigiano. You don’t want to mix it too much after this, else the swordfish will break up. You want nice big chunks. Serve, with an extra sprinkle of parmigiano.
• Enjoy with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and the one you love.