Swordfish as fish entree

Ctrossello

Hello!  FI and I picked out our entree selections for our wedding (stuffed chicken, prime rib, grilled swordfish, and a vegetarian option).  

Last night we sat down with the chef at the restaurant we are having our rehearsal dinner to run through that menu.  To ensure we were not duplicating anything I ran through our wedding menu.  This led to a swordfish debate, and essentially that is not a good choice for the wedding - led by my FMIL and the chef at the restaurant.

Has anyone ever had swordfish at their wedding, or maybe as a guest?  I really like to eat fish and think swordfish is good.  Am i crazy for choosing this??  (My other options for the fish dish are tilapia and salmon - which are more popular but I personally prefer swordfish).

Peledreamsofrain

Good lord, can I come to your wedding if you decide on swordfish? That's a delicious high quality meat! Tilapia is a lower quality and cheap meat that is next to tasteless imo. And cooked salmon is really fishy strong. A good creamy clean tadting swordfish steak would really impress me at a wedding!!

AddieCake

Did the chef give a reason for not thinking the swordfish was a good idea?

Peledreamsofrain

I would guess it is because it takes more skill to cook. Tilapia and salmon are so often overcooked and smothered in sauce to cover it up that its almost expected.

Ctrossello

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_food-cakes_swordfish-as-fish-entree?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:23Discussion:a196bbc0-286e-43fe-87d1-98a14cc9b5d8Post:1f2f640d-d79c-4e92-ba67-80f8bba7ff44">Re: Swordfish as fish entree</a>:
[QUOTE]Did the chef give a reason for not thinking the swordfish was a good idea?
Posted by AddieL73[/QUOTE]

<div>He was saying how the fish can never come in fresh.  Something about how it is so hard to obtain fresh swordfish; it will be frozen and not as good quality, etc.  My FMIL believes it is not an appropriate fish to serve at a wedding since it more of a steak-type fish as opposed to others (i.e. tilapia or flounder).  However, because it is more of a substancial, high quality fish is one of the reasons I picked it!!  She also said it is brown - which yes it is a darker color fish and not pure white, but it is also not dark brown (at least from what I recall when I have eaten it, and I googled image just to make sure lol).</div><div>
</div><div>I think I was mostly just shocked at their harsh reaction to it.  Caught me by surprise and made me re-think my initial selection.</div>

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

That's absolutely fine. A lot of people don't even offer a fish option, just beef and chicken or chicken and vegetarian, so your four options are very generous. I'm sure almost everyone can find something they like from your options. Even if only you and 2 other people pick the swordfish, oh well.

jessicabessica

You are offering 4 options, it's fine to go with a fish choice that may be less popular.  Is the same chef doing the RD and the wedding?  If not, I wouldn't really care what that chef's opinion was of swordfish.  If your reception venue/chef is good with it, that's all that matters. 

As an FYI, I don't know if you have Jewish guests that keep kosher, but swordfish is not a kosher fish by many standards.  I think it's not a big deal, since you are offering the vegetarian option to all your guests, but I just wanted to mention it in case that is a consideration for you.

lyndausvi

I personally would not serve swordfish as an entree for a lot of the same reasons the chef mentioned.  My chef husband is a fresh fish snob, so there's that.  There is an art to cooking frozen steaky fish and not all cooks can pull it off , especially in bulk like a banquet. I say cooks, because it's not generally the head chef who is cooking.  I also don't think swordfish is an universal as other types of fish.  

 However, as long as you have had the tasting and like the way the chef prepared it, then go for it.  Since guests have choice they can pick something else.

MrsGandthebeag

We offered filet mignon and swordfish as our two options at our wedding (then veg option if someone requested it which no one did).  I was surprised that it was almost 50 50 between the filet and swordfish.  More people did order the filtet but the choices were pretty close.  

Ctrossello

Thanks ladies!  FI and I have decided to stick with the Swordfish - if guests don't like it, they can pick from one of the 3 other options.

RetreatBride - I wish they had mahi-mahi as an option, it is delicious as well.  My other options were Salmon and Tilapia.