1 pound swordfish steaks, cut into cubes
for the marinade
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed (3 to 4)
1 oregano sprig, crumbled
1 dried piri-piri pepper, crushed, or 1 malagueta pepper, or a chile to
taste, seeded and finely chopped
Coarse salt
1. Thread the fish onto skewers and arrange them on a flat dish.
2. Combine the marinade ingredients, pour them over the kabobs and leave
them for an hour or two to take the flavors.
3. Remove from the marinade and drain thoroughly.
4. Heat a small barbecue or broiler to maximum heat and grill the fish
kabobs fiercely. Serve with white rice or soft cornmeal porridge (polenta).

:Swordfish is one of only three fish firm enough to keep its shape on a
skewer; the others are tuna and monkfish, the poor man's lobster, either of
which can be substituted in this recipe. Espetadas (kabobs), bite-size
pieces of meat or fish threaded onto sharpened sticks, are the fairground
treat on the island of Madeira. They're eaten with bread rolls (bolos do
caco): yeast-raised buns the size of a dinner plate, traditionally cooked on
a bakestone (caco) made of basalt, the rock of which the island is formed -
though in modern times, rather less romantically, the caco is made of
concrete.
Copyright: Elisabeth Luard
from The Food of Spain and Portugal
(Kyle Books, 2005)



Pineapple Vinegar:

2 fully ripe pineapples
1/2 large sweet Spanish onion, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon smashed oregano leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
20 garlic cloves, crushed
6 habaenro peppers or chili peppers of your choice, stems removed and
coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt to taste

Cut the tops off pineapple and discard.
With a big knife, cut the side rinds and cut as little pineapple meat off as
you can.

Put the pineapple rinds in a big pot, and cover them with water.
Boil till rind is tender, about 30 minutes. Add water to keep rind covered,
thru cooking time.

Meanwhile, put the oregano, garlic, peppercorns, onions, peppers,and
vinegar in a large jar with a tight fitting lid.

Strain the pineapple liquid over the mixture in the jar, and if there is
not enough liquid, boil the pineapple in more water for 20 minutes.

Taste and salt and add vinegar if needed. You can use soon as it cools but
will be better if, let set a day, then refrigerate. try it making cerviche.