Courtesy Brian Collins, owner/chef, Ember, Arroyo Grande, CA
Ember restaurant is in Brian Collins’s hometown of Arroyo Grande, California, just a stone’s throw from the surf breaks of Pismo Beach. Six years in the kitchen at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse gave the chef and restaurant owner plenty of California cuisine cred, but his primary inspiration is Italian cooking.
He says this dish captures the spirit of both by emphasizing local ingredients and keeping the preparations simple.
Ingredients for Swordfish
4 swordfish steaks, 1-inch thick
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
Pine Nut Relish (ingredients and directions below)