Pesce Spada

Swordfish reach up to 4 metres (12 ft) in length and 200 kg (450 lb) in weight. The fish is readily identified by the long sword or spear on its snout. Many are harpooned by fishermen off the coasts of Calabria and Sicily. It is one of those fish that is generally hung for at least one day before use. The flesh is very similar in texture, colour and taste to that of shark meat and for this reason is cut and cooked in a similar way. It is mostly grilled but more recently it has been served raw as carpaccio and smoked. One of the most interesting ways to cook swordfish is in involtini di pesce spada, which is a speciality of Sicily. Sicily is one of the largest consumers of swordfish.