Hot smoked swordfish with white shellfish sauce

Ingredients:

Hot smoked swordfish

• 1 swordfish fillet, 10 cm thick, skin removed
• 1 cup coarse salt
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2-3 tbsp. l. rapeseed oil (canola)

White sauce with clams

• 24 small clams
• 2 tbsp. l. rapeseed oil (canola)
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed into a paste with a little salt
• 1 small serrano chili, finely diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp chilled unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley + a handful of leaves for serving
• Zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:

1. Combine 8 cups of water, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar; cool completely. Submerge the fish in the brine. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
2. Remove the fish from the brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and let air dry for at least 1 hour. The surface of the fish should be tacky to the touch before smoking.
3. Preheat smoker with maple chips to 95°C-105°C.
4. Lightly brush the fish with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Smoke the fish for about 2 hours, adding more wood chips after an hour if necessary. You can continue adding wood chips during the second hour of smoking if you prefer a more smoky flavor. Transfer the smoked fish to a large platter.
5. Clam sauce:
   
   Remove the meat from half the clams and chop coarsely. Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and chili pepper and fry for a few seconds. Add the chopped clams and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced by half.
6. Add the whole clams, cover the pan, and cook, shaking occasionally, until the shells open, 5-10 minutes. Stir in the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the finely chopped parsley and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over and around the smoked fish, and sprinkle with parsley leaves.