Rania's Recipes: Swordfish Piccata & Praline Cheesecake

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Rania Harris stopped by PTL to continue her theme of Sunday dinner recipes!

Swordfish Piccata

• Four 6-ounce skinless swordfish steaks
• All-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Panko bread crumbs
• Canola oil for sautéing the swordfish
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large garlic cloves – minced fine
• Juice of 2 large lemons (or more to taste)
• ¼ cup white wine (or more to taste)
• 4 tablespoons drained capers
• 1 heaping tablespoon flour mixed with just enough water to create a slurry
• 1 half pint whole grape tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Coat the swordfish steaks in the flour.

In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Dip the swordfish steaks in the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Put the Panko bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Coat the swordfish on both sides with the Panko bread crumbs, coating well on both sides.

In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan until shimmering. Add the swordfish steaks and cook over medium high heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip the fish over and brown on the second side. Transfer the swordfish steaks to a half sheet pan lined with parchment. Place the fish in the oven for about 5 minutes while preparing the sauce.

In the same skillet from the fish sauté, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for just a minute. Add the lemon juice, wine and capers. Cook for just a few minutes, to slightly reduce the sauce. Add the flour mixture and whisk, cooking, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat, add the grape tomatoes, cover the pan with a lid and allow to sit to soften, but not cook the tomatoes. Transfer the swordfish steaks to plates and spoon the sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve with and lemon wedges.

Praline Cheesecake

• Cooking spray, for pan
• 3 - 8-oz bars cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Crust

• 1 sleeve graham crackers, finely crushed
• 5 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Topping
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 3/4 cup whole or chopped pecans
• Pinch kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325º and grease an 8" or 9" springform pan with cooking spray. Make cheesecake filling: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then sour cream, flour, vanilla, and salt.

Make crust: In a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Press mixture into prepared pan.
Pour filling over crust. Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. (If you want to bake the cheesecake in a water bath, wrap bottom of pan and place in a deep baking pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come up halfway in the baking pan.) Bake until center of cheesecake only slightly jiggles, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn off heat, prop open oven door, and let cheesecake cool in oven, 1 hour, then remove aluminum foil and refrigerate cheesecake in pan until firm, at least 5 hours and up to overnight.

Before serving, make pecan pie topping: In a nonstick skillet over low heat, melt butter and brown sugar until bubbly (keep heat low to avoid burning butter). Stir in cinnamon, heavy cream, pecans, and salt until completely coated, then remove from heat and let cool and slightly thicken. (You can make the topping up to an hour in advance and keep at room temperature; don't refrigerate as the butter will solidify.)

Release springform pan from cheesecake and spoon over cooled pecan pie topping.

Serve: 10