A delicious and easy weeknight recipe with Pimenta Moida as a marinade!
Jump to RecipeOne of my favorite things about Azorean cuisine was how fresh all the seafood was! I made it almost a rule to order at least one seafood dish a day, just because it was all locally caught and most of the time caught the same day! And with all the great seafood, I was inspired to do something that reminded me of this amazing cuisine. Which how we ended up with my Azorean Swordfish Skewers!

The other aspect of Azorean cuisine that I really fell in love with was the red pepper sauce Pimenta Moida. It was a staple in a lot of dishes I ate, and as a marinade, it works so well. It has acidity from the vinegar, spiciness from the peppers, and good salt content as well! Thinking of easy weeknight dishes that would be fun and simple, swordfish came to the front of my mind, as it is a fish that holds up well for grilling, and would take an intense marinade of Pimenta Moida and Piri Piri really well! You can buy Pimenta Moida here if you don’t have any!

Because all the prep for this recipe is really just some very simple cutting and arranging the swordfish skewers, it’s a great recipe to do with friends, loved ones, or kids! I’ll link the full recipe video below, and the written recipe of course! Also, this is the first recipe on the YouTube channel, so be sure to check it out! And our Instagram is in full swing, so I’d appreciate a follow there as well (if you like food photography)!

Azorean Swordfish Skewers with Pimenta Moida Marinade
Equipment
- Skewers
- Grill or Grill Pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Swordfish steak
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Oregano (fresh or dried)
- 3-4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
- 1.5 Tbsp Pimenta Moida (see notes)
- 1 Tbsp Piri Piri
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1/2 Onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven with a grill pan, or preheat a grill to around 400-425°f
- Start by cubing your swordfish into 1-inch by 1-inch pieces
- Add the cubed swordfish to a ziploc bag
Pimenta Moida Marinade
- Crush the garlic cloves and add to a bowl
- Toss with 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
- Add your oregano to the Olive Oil and garlic
- Add the Pimenta Moida and Piri Piri to the oil and garlic mix. Because of the salt in the PImenta Moida, none is needed in this recipe.
- Pour the marinade into the bad with the swordfish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Grilling and Skewers
- Cut 1-inch squares of the red bell pepper and set to the side
- Half an onion, and cut into thirds. Then peel 1-inch pieces from the layers of the onion.
- Once the swordfish is done marinating, add swordfish, bell pepper, and onion to the skewers.
- Use the remaining Olive Oil and brush over the skewers. If you'd like, you can brush any remaining marinade over the skewers as well.
- Grill the skewers for around 2 minutes on each side. If your skewer pieces aren't even, be sure to rotate indivudal pieces as well.
- Serve with lemon and enjoy!